


Fallen

by TruebornAlpha



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angel Wings, Angel/Demon Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Dark Shiro (Voltron), Friends to Lovers, Galaxy Garrison, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Wingfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 08:49:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 31,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11665704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TruebornAlpha/pseuds/TruebornAlpha
Summary: Keith grew up alone, passed from foster home to foster home with no real family of his own. The only one who stayed with him was Shiro, his best friend and protector with large snowy wings and a soft smile. He told Keith he was his guardian angel. Then one day, Shiro disappeared and never returned. Years later, Keith struggles to find his place among the elite pilots at the Garrison, his imaginary friend long forgotten.But Shiro hasn’t forgotten him, and Keith didn't know how dangerous Shiro had become.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work was written for the _Voltron General Big Bang._ Thank you to our artist, Lau, for their art. It can be viewed on Tumblr here.

The world around Keith was too bleak and too large, or maybe it was just that he was so small. It started quiet in a house he barely remembered, though his feet seemed to know their way. Keith wiggled out of bed, tiptoeing barefoot down the hallway, straining his ears for any sign of danger. All he heard was the quiet wind out in the desert and the chirrups of insects crawling out to serenade the stars.

“Mom?” He sounded so much younger as he called out, voice shaking. “Dad?”

He breathed in the scent of ash and smoke so thick that it choked him and Keith doubled over, coughing and gasping for air. He knew how this would go, it never changed. The screams started just like he knew they would, cutting through him with a fear that sent him spinning on his feet.

“Keith, run.  _ RUN!” _

It felt like he was always running.

Keith fell down the stairs, slipping down the steps and landing in a painful heap at the bottom. With a whimper, he scrambled up and fought with the lock on the door, yanking it open and racing out into the night. The house burned behind him, his parents’ voices chasing after him as he sprinted into the darkness. He stumbled in his haste, catching himself on the rocky round and scraping open the palms of his hands. The sting throbbed, but he barely noticed it, pushing himself back up to his feet and pouring all his strength into running.

They were chasing him already, the faceless shadows that kept pace behind him. They didn’t speak, but the could feel them closing in around him like a pack of wolves. He wasn’t fast enough, they could have brought him down at any time, but they let him run like this was all a game. They reveled in the hunt, knowing he’d exhaust himself eventually and they could move in for the kill. The shadows wouldn’t stop until they caught him, dragging him down into the darkness until it swallowed him whole.

“Please.” He panted, begging even though they never listened. Keith’s chest burned, legs screaming at him to stop, but he couldn’t slow down. His parents had told him to run, he had to keep going. There had to be someone who could save him.

Something grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled.

Keith would have screamed, but it was already too late.

He lashed out wildly, but his tangled sheets kept him from bolting out of bed. The darkness grew a friendlier face, the familiar shadows of his bedroom coming into place. Robert, his roommate, let out another one of his grunty snores and turned over,  undisturbed, but Keith felt like he was going to be sick. He kicked and pulled until he could yank his blankets over his head, hiding away from everything. The dream stuck to his skin, a horror that couldn’t leave soon enough, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to keep it all back. In the end, he couldn’t.

Keith had learned how to cry silently. It was a useful skill, one he’d perfected before he was really old enough to remember. Kids who cried attracted attention like blood in the water, the bigger kids in the foster homes always saw it as a weakness. If they saw him like this, they’d make his life miserable or worse.

Keith had been moved around enough to know that crying also attracted attention from a certain kind of foster parent. The kind ones tried to help, but no one wanted a broken child who wouldn’t stop crying and hid himself away when he was afraid. They pitied him and always wanted to save him in the beginning, but they always ended up giving him back, hoping someone more qualified could take his case. The others were worse. They were willing to do whatever it took to silence a discipline issue.

The bed shifted and Keith held his breath, but a familiar face pulled up the covers. Keith tackled him with a soft cry. “Shiro!”

His friend gathered Keith up into his arms like he could shelter him from the world. Small white wings wrapped around them both, hiding Keith in their bright downy feathers as the younger boy gave a shuddering sob and buried his face in Shiro’s shoulder.

“You’re okay.” Shiro said gently, wiping the tears from Keith’s face, but Keith wouldn’t look up, and he prayed fiercely that his roommate wouldn’t wake.

“I had a bad dream.” Keith whispered, but already the nightmare was fading. Shiro was barely older than he was with dark serious eyes and black hair that fell messily over his face, but Keith knew he was safe in Shiro’s arms. His angel could always protect him.

“No more bad dreams.” Shiro promised, voice like a balm over Keith’s frayed nerves, and Keith’s fingers dug into the soft fabric of his shirt, terrified he would disappear again. “I’m right here with you.”

A strained sob curled low in Keith’s chest, but the vice grip of his fear was slowly unclenching. He came back to himself enough to remember his place, and shamefully shied away from Shiro’s gentle touch. “Y-you shouldn’t be here. You said…”

Shiro huffed and dropped on top of him, squishing him into the mattress. Keith squawked and tried to muffle it into his friend’s shoulder, but Shiro was wiggling so much, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Don’t worry, no one knows I’m here.” Shiro laughed, tickling Keith until the other boy had to clamp his teeth together to keep from making a sound. “Not even Robert knows I’m here, though I think even a train zooming through the room wouldn’t wake him up.”

Keith snorted and smacked Shiro’s arm, but he wasn’t wrong. There were few upsides to sharing a room, but Robert sleeping like a log was the best thing about him. “I’m serious, if you’re gonna get in trouble, you shouldn’t be here.”

“I told you, I’m going to protect you and that’s what I’m going to do.” Shiro puffed his chest out proudly, wings stretched out behind him and dragging the sheets like a tent over their heads. “I’m not letting those stupid bullies or scary nightmares hurt you. I promised! Besides, no one's going to find out.”

“Good.” Keith whispered fiercely and hugged Shiro, tugging him down into the bed beside him so they could curl together in the darkness. 

Life in the orphanage wasn’t always easy. Small and alone, with a foreign accent and too small eyes, Keith was an easy target and he became a bigger one when he lashed out. Too new to have friends and too different to make any, most times he was lonely. This was always the best part of his day when everyone else was asleep and Shiro was here to keep him safe. He never doubted his friend, not from the moment Shiro had fallen out of a tree, sprained a wing trying to look cool, and promptly declared he was Keith’s guardian angel. He might have been a tiny one, but Keith trusted him completely. Nothing bad could ever happen while Shiro was here.

“Did you have the same dream?”

“Yeah.” The answer came out like a sigh, resigned and almost embarrassed as he turned his face into Shiro. Warm wings settled over him, the softest down comforter that Keith had ever felt. “I really miss my mom and dad.”

It was a nightmare that had been with him for years, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what inspired it. Keith had lost his parents in a fire, a stupid accident that made no sense with how careful his parents were, or so Keith told himself. It was a twist of fate that he’d carry with him for the rest of his life. He was too young for him to remember everything, but he could still recall the sirens blaring and the strong arms around his waist when he tried to rush back into the building. They told him he’d fled from the firefighters as his home went up in smoke and ran until his legs gave out, and they found him later, hiding in the middle of a park, beaten and exhausted. In his nightmares, he was still running when they caught him.

Shiro combed his fingers through his hair, soothing him like no one else had the power too, and Keith stifled a sob. He was tired of crying. As far as he was concerned, he’d done enough of it to last him a lifetime. “Sometimes I can still hear her voice,” he admitted. “But I don’t know if it's, like, her voice or if I just think it is.”

Shiro didn’t offer him platitudes or promise him that it would be okay. They were cold comforts when all Keith wanted was his mom and dad back. They didn’t need their house or anything else the fire took. If they could start all over again, Keith would be happy. But Shiro held him and made it better by just being there.

“You should rest, Keith.” Shiro murmured gently.

Keith hesitated, voice soft and uncertain, because he knew the risks. He knew Shiro would get in trouble, but Shiro always kept pushing, and Shiro seemed so sure. In the end, temptation gave out, and he asked, “Can you stay?”

Shiro didn’t reply immediately, and Keith tensed, wishing he could kick himself in the butt. “I mean, you shouldn’t. I know.”

“I might have to leave before morning,” Shiro squished Keith against his chest, holding him as tightly as he dared. He sounded so unhappy, and Keith knew without any doubt that Shiro wanted to stay.

“That’s okay, just stay now.” Keith would take what he could get without question. Someday, they’d find a way to deal with whoever was keeping Shiro from seeing him, just like they would deal with Keith’s bullies and sleepless nights. Shiro made him feel like anything was possible together.

The little angel gave a smile of relief and wrapped Keith back up in his fluffy white wings. “They just don’t understand, they don’t think we should be friends.” Shiro hesitated just a minute. “Are we friends?”

“Best friends.” Keith said emphatically and laughed at how wide Shiro grinned.

“Best friends! I promise I’ll get better at this guardian stuff too. I’ll be the best guardian angel that you’ve ever met.”

The little boy giggled and tweaked Shiro’s wing. “You’re the only guardian angel I’ve ever met.”

Shiro fluttered proudly. “Then I’m already off to a good start.”

They spent hours huddled together in the soft white canopy of Shiro’s wings, passing secrets and stories with muffled laughs. The angel was always fascinated by anything Keith said. Even the most mundane details of his life seemed to excite Shiro, like when Keith tried to explain comic books to his bewildered friend. Whatever Keith liked, Shiro wanted to learn and no one had ever made Keith feel so special before, but try as he did to stay awake the entire night so he wouldn’t miss a single moment of Shiro’s visit, the little boy couldn’t keep his eyes open forever. He drifted off beside his best friend, finally feeling safe.

In the morning when Robert finally got out of bed with enough noise to wake up the entire orphanage, Keith blinked his eyes open and yawned, stretching as far as his arms could go. His angel was gone, but a few downy feathers remained on his pillow.

 

* * *

 

Shiro knew he was in trouble. If he got caught, he had no idea what would he happen. It felt like he was breaking more rules than anyone had ever done before (well, aside from the obvious), but Shiro couldn’t help it! He’d never been anyone’s guardian before, but Keith was more than just an assignment. Keith was important to him, Keith might have been the most important person he ever knew. Being around him made him question every single terrible rule. The fact that there was even one person like Keith made every risk worth taking. Shiro may have been wrong, but he couldn’t find it in him to regret any of his choices either.

Still, he had to be careful. The stakes were high all over, but if they found out, they would never let it continue. Someone else would be assigned, and Shiro couldn’t let that happen. So high above the clouds, with a bird’s eye view of the entire neighborhood, he waited, and watched, and waited some more, all to find the right opportunity to approach, even if he’d been bouncing with excitement forever. Keith was always with someone, and that was trouble. Shiro did his best to make sure other humans couldn’t see him, and because of that, their conversations sometimes had a way of making things difficult for Keith.

Then something changed.

Keith left the orphanage, not quite running, but definitely more than walking. He was tense and unhappy, and suddenly caution no longer seemed as important.

Keith was vaulting over the fence to the public park, a few blocks down, not the most comfortable routes but one of the fastest, when suddenly a blur of white feathers tackled him to the ground. They tumbled and spun, rolling in the dirt, but when everything stopped spinning, Keith found himself floating an inch above the ground, tiny arms with impossible strength around his waist and his best friend’s sunlight smile ready to greet him.

“Keith!”

His bad mood didn’t evaporate, but Shiro watched the way his expression brightened and couldn’t help but try to inch closer. “I was waiting for you all day, I wanted to show you something,” he explained before Keith could even get a word out. “But something happened? Did something happen, are you okay?”

The angel didn’t expect Keith to throw his arms around him, burying his face in shoulder with a choked huff, squeezing him like he thought he would disappear.

“No.” He mumbled, and Shiro knew he was lying, but he held on anyway. “I missed you.”

Keith sounded miserable. It tore at Shiro’s heart and made his wings ruffle unhappily. “I have something for you.” He said, more kinder than his age suggested he could be. “Here, look.”

Shiro reached into his satchel. In Keith’s hands, he placed a shiny glowing rock, half ice and half mist, glittering with starlight. Keith gasped. “It’s a piece of comet! Don’t worry, I got it. It won’t hurt you.”

“How did you find this?” Keith closed his hands around it in wonder as Shiro grinned proudly.

“I just went looking for one! Someday you’ll be able to see them too, just like you talked about. You’ll be able to fly to the stars and, and..” Shiro’s voice trailed off as he noticed the tears welling in Keith’s eyes. “What’s wrong? If you don’t like it, that’s okay. I can bring you something else.”

“N-no, I love it.” Keith clutched the tiny piece of space to his chest. Shiro always brought back such amazing stories about the stars and how huge the universe really was, a billion mysteries to discover. He’d always wanted to see them for himself someday and join Shiro on his explorations. But if he didn’t have Shiro, then what would be the point? “There’s people at the orphanage today. They say they want to adopt me.”

Shiro squawked in delight and hugged Keith until he yelped. “That’s great news! They can get you out of this stupid place and you deserve a family that loves you, Keith. I’m so happy.”

“No!” The little boy pulled away, wiping furiously at his face to hide his tears. “If they take me away, then I won’t see you anymore. I don’t want to go without you.”

The angel blinked in shock for a moment before pulling Keith back into his arms, soothing him with gentle reassurances. “No matter where you go or who you’re with, I’m going to be with you. That’s what a guardian does, I’m sticking with you.”

“You mean it?” Keith sniffed, wiping his sleeve on his arm.

“Of course I mean it! If you leave, then I’m coming with you.”

Keith embraced him so tightly that Shiro’s heart ached. His friend was so lonely and hurt, even the thought of being separated terrified him. No matter what the risks or what the others might say, Shiro was never going to abandoned him. The others were wrong about Keith and about the rules. They didn’t understand things like friendship or what it meant to keep a promise.

“I don’t wanna lose anyone else.”

The words were spoken so softly, Shiro wasn’t sure he was supposed to hear them. Slowly, they touched the ground, and Shiro carded his fingers through Keith’s hair, the same way he did whenever the younger boy had a nightmare. Keith sniffed loudly, swiping at his nose to hide the way it was snotty and gross, but he was so tired of crying. Sometimes it felt like that was all he did anymore.

“You’re never going to lose me, Keith.” Shiro said. He had never been more serious. He refused to believe that there was anything that would tear them apart. “No matter what happens, I’m going to protect you, even if you can’t see me.”

It was an oath, more solemn than anything Keith had ever earned, and he felt ill-equipped to handle it. “I just. I don’t  _ want _  new people.” Keith tried to explain the feelings in his chest. They were in a tangled knot made of a billion strings and he didn’t know where to begin to unravel them. “I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want a new family. I want…” Keith looked down at his shoes, but even then the tips of Shiro’s soft wings crept into his vision. Shiro wouldn’t let him feel alone for an instant. “I just wish you could’ve been there that night.“

It was a heavy confession that didn’t sit well on such a sunny day. Shiro tucked Keith under his chin, frowning over his head. He would turn back time and save Keith’s family if he could, but that was beyond the ability of any guardian. Keith just held on, clutching his piece of Heaven as close as he could to his chest, his eyes glassy and distant.

“I’m sorry it hurts so bad.” Shiro said, and he would be sorry, every time. “But I don’t think you should stay here. This place  _ sucks _ . And I think, if these people wanna care about you, then they could be really good people.”

“I guess.” Keith mumbled. “I’m stupid. Every kid wants to get outta here. I’m just-”

“You’re never stupid.” Shiro interrupted vehemently, so annoyed his wings ruffled, and Keith smiled despite himself. “You wanna show me the people who want you to come home with them? We can meet them together and maybe, maybe we can figure out if they’ll be okay?”

It took Keith a moment, but he reluctantly agreed. He was embarrassed by his sniffling, even if Shiro never said anything mean about it. Keith didn’t think Shiro had a mean bone in his body. They walked back to the orphanage together, and even though he knew Shiro wouldn’t let anyone see him, Keith held his hand, and he didn’t care how silly he looked. Right now, he needed his best friend, and Shiro’s was the only opinion he cared about.

As soon as they reached the gate, Shiro disappeared, and Keith’s stomach flip-flopped with a little more than nerves. He dragged his feet all the way back to the administrator’s office, but it was only after he saw a single white feather floating outside the nearest the nearest window that he knocked on the door, ready to apologize for leaving so abruptly.

They were still waiting for him. The Jones’s.

They looked like a nice couple. They welcomed Keith back with open arms, the woman embracing him and gesturing for him to sit beside her as the administrator looked on, slightly annoyed to be interrupted in the middle of his lecture.

She was smart and very tall, made jewelry and liked dogs. He was an accountant and looked boring. They were nothing like his parents. He hated meeting new people, but Keith talked about himself and asked them questions, trying to think up all the things Shiro would want to hear. If he was going to go with them, they had to be people both he and Shiro would like. Keith didn’t understand what was involved in taking him home, but there seemed to be a lot of paperwork involved though he did understand the words ‘foster parents.’

He supposed he could at least give them a chance. Shiro seemed to think it was a good idea and they looked fine.

But he couldn’t see what lurked beneath.

As soon as Shiro slipped into the room, he muffled a gasp and pressed himself into a corner. The pair looked normal enough, but he could see the corruption festering just below the surface, spilling through the cracks and ready to eat away at whatever it touched. Whatever humanity they’d possessed had been burned away. There were fangs behind their lips, cruelty in their hearts. No matter what form they’d take, they could never hide their true nature from an angel.

They were evil, he could see it as clearly as the false smiles they wore. He was built to destroy evil, a singular purpose, a warrior Dominion from the second sphere of angels. He was too young to fight and not yet grown into his powers, but he knew without a doubt that they would hurt Keith if they managed to take him away.

Powers or no, he would never let them have Keith. He’d made a promise to protect his friend and he would keep it, no matter what. He thought fast, weaving together a desperate plan.

“We would love Keith to be part of our family.” The woman was speaking with a fond smile for the boy. “We’ve fostered children before and I think it would do him a lot of good to be in a home situations, don’t you?” She asked the administrator who nodded along, completely in her thrall. Shiro bit back a snarl and crept closer.

Spying a letter opener on the administrator’s desk, he called for the blade, making it vanish and reappear in his hand. Shiro waited in tense silence to see if anyone noticed before sneaking right behind the couple. This close, he could feel the  _ wrongness _  of them, the way they seemed to bend and warp the very world around them. They were a disease and a dangerous one, this had to stop now.

In one quick motion, he stabbed the point of the letter opener into the woman’s leg right by Keith’s hand and disappeared.

Chaos broke out.

She screamed, and he snarled, and poor Keith was trapped in the middle. The administrator was calling for an ambulance, and in the middle of it all, his best friend caught his eye. The human had gone pale with horror, his knees buckling with the weight of his shock. Shiro was so very sorry, but he walked away.

Keith had no explanation to give. Young as he was, he still knew what it would sound like if he told them his guardian angel made him do it. The incident would go on his record, and he was certain no one would ever want to adopt him now. The worst part was that he couldn’t find Shiro, not even after they left and he was sent to his room, too ashamed to even go down for supper. There were already whispers in the hall. None of the other kids would look at him. Keith didn’t think even Robert would want to put up with him.

Through it all he kept his piece of Heaven in his hand, refusing to believe that his best friend had abandoned him without an explanation, but as the hours passed and Keith’s eyes grew heavy, doubt found a place in his heart. Its fangs would cut deep.

Keith drifted until exhaustion claimed him and he tumbled into an uneasy sleep. It didn’t last.

He was awoken with a hand over his mouth, forcing him quiet, and Keith tried to scream anyway. Then the shadows of his room faded around a pair of soft white wings, and Shiro was hovering over him, his jaw trembling with emotion and eyes damp with unshed tears.

Keith thought he should hate him. All he felt was sad.

“I’m sorry.” The angel looked miserable, his wings drooping behind him. “I’m sorry. They were bad people, I didn’t know it until I saw them. I couldn’t let them take you, they could have done something terrible. It wasn’t a good plan, I just didn’t know what else to do.” A better guardian would have come up with a smarter solution, they would have had the ability to keep Keith safe without getting him in trouble or damaging his future. He wasn’t cut out for this, it was too much responsibility to care for a human life all on his own and the others had known he was too young to try. But Shiro couldn’t give up on Keith, someone had to keep him safe.

“They were bad?” Doubt flickered across Keith’s face, unsure of what to believe.

“I know I let you down today, but I need you to trust me. I have to go away for a little while, but I promise I’ll be back.” It was the hardest decision Shiro had ever made and when Keith’s face crumbled, he wavered, wanting more than anything to take it back.

“But you promised you’d stay with me!” The little boy wailed, throwing his arms around Shiro. “You said you would. It’s okay about the Joneses, I don’t care what you did. Just don’t leave me alone, Shiro. Please, you said you wouldn’t go.”

Shiro felt like his heart was breaking. He hugged his best friend as tightly as he could, before reluctantly pulling away. “I’ll be back, I promise I will.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

Keith’s voice twisted through him and Shiro shook his head fiercely. “Never, don’t you ever think that. None of this is your fault, it’s mine. I’m going to take care of it and I’ll come back for you, just you wait. It’ll be so quick, you’ll barely even notice I’m gone.” At least, Shiro hoped it would. After his failure today, he needed to find a better way to keep Keith safe without letting him down again.

He took Keith’s hand, holding it gently as he rubbed his thumb over Keith’s palm. “I’m going to give you something that’ll keep you safe while I’m gone, okay?”

Keith nodded silently and Shiro dragged his fingers across the boy’s skin. Light flared bright enough to illuminate the entire bedroom before fading into a mark across the back of Keith’s right hand. It glowed faintly before settling into his skin like a brand, a small shape like a pointed ‘V’ or a pair of wings.

Keith didn’t want it. He didn’t know what it was or what it did, but he knew it would be a poor substitute for Shiro. “No.” He said, stubborn to the very last, but when Shiro’s features twisted unhappily, he wished he could take it back. At least he knew one thing for sure. Shiro didn’t want to leave either. Before Shiro could move, Keith yanked him into another hug, and he couldn’t stop his tears from falling.

It was happening too quickly. He’d just wanted to talk, and now he was losing his best friend. Keith didn’t know how to keep going.

“Wait!” He pleaded, hating how his voice trembled, but it was too much. After everything that happened, after he lost any chance of ever leaving the orphanage, he couldn’t stand losing his best friend, too. Keith grabbed his comet off his bed side table and pressed it into Shiro’s hand. “Take it. Take it so you have to give it back.”

“But Keith, that’s yours-”

“No!” Keith demanded, shaking his head furiously. “You have to give it back, so you’ll come back. Swear you’ll come back.”

Shiro was quiet for a moment, then he took the comet in his hands and carefully split it in two. Strands of light looped around each piece, trapping them in a net of fine thread, and Shiro wrapped one around Keith’s wrist, right above his new mark. The other, he tucked into his pocket.

“I swear it, I swear I will, you’ll see.” Shiro promised, words pressed into Keith’s hair as he held on as tight as he could. But the angel never did stay until morning.

Keith didn’t remember exactly what happened, or how he found the strength to let go, but in the morning, his room was empty, and all that remained was a faded mark on the back of his hand. If he didn’t know better, Keith could’ve said he’d had it for his entire life, but his comet still hung around his wrist.

And so he waited. Impatiently at first, his eyes trained on the sky like he could catch a glimpse of downy wings. He spent so long watching the sky, he didn’t notice how the world had changed around him. The other children continued to avoid him, and the staff would barely speak with him; even his old tormentors gave him a wide berth. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the sky.

Keith counted the days, then the months, and finally the years. There were interviews, and there were other homes, but no one ever lasted for long. Keith waited every day for the impossible, dreams and memories blurring together, and he could no longer remember a time when he wasn’t lonely. He waited until he forgot why he was waiting, but he learned to hate the scar on the back of his hand.

The angel never came back and finally faded from Keith’s memory, nothing more than another childhood daydream that abandoned him in the end.

Keith had long grown tired of mourning him.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey Kogane!”

Keith’s shoulders tensed but he kept walking, refusing to acknowledge the voice that called out behind him.

“Kogane, I’m talking to you.” A hand closed around Keith’s arm and yanked him back sharply, but he was ready for the attack. Idiots, they never learned from their mistakes. After the first time, he’d never be caught unaware again. He whirled on his attacker in a flurry of fists, bringing him down easily. What Keith hadn’t counted on was being outnumbered.

He was hauled off his feet and slammed into the wall hard enough to drive the air from his lungs. A knee slammed against his stomach and he doubled over, going limp in his captor’s hands. The fallen boy picked himself up and sneered at him.

“Next time, you should listen when someone’s trying to talk to you.”

“Go to hell, Carl.” Keith spat as the boy wiped blood from his own lips.

“After the way you tried to show us up in the flight simulator today? You might have the instructors fooled, but there’s no way you’re that good. You’re a dirty cheat and we’re gonna find a way to make sure everyone in the Garrison knows. They’ll expel your worthless ass for sure.”

Keith smiled like an animal, all teeth. “Or maybe you just suck more than you think. I get why you’re in a hurry, being the first bag of dicks in space would definitely earn you a little attention, but with reflexes like yours, you’ll barely make cargo pilot class.”

The other teen snarled and punched Keith in the gut while his friends urged them on. “You little asshole, you don’t belong here. The only reason the Garrison took trash like you is because you’re a charity case. A tax write-off.”

With a howl, Keith launched himself at the other boy, but Carl’s friends held him back as they laughed.

“Hold him still, boys. Let’s show Kogane what the Garrison thinks of cheaters.”

Keith braced for impact, but he didn’t expect the ceiling to retaliate. A loose board came free, landing squarely on top of Carl with a sickly yet satisfying clang. Keith didn’t waste any time, immediately elbowing his way out of the others’ hold and taking off down the corridor. Their stunned silence was quickly swallowed up by the sound of snarls and hurried footsteps.

The Galactic Garrison was not what Keith had expected.

For as long as he could remember, Keith had wanted to touch the stars, but the odds were stacked against him. He was a lonely orphan with all the maladaptive behavior of a tragic past, and a serious black mark on his record that even he was too ashamed to speak about. Yet the stars had been there for him when everything else fled, the adventure and science behind it were full of so much hope that his own life lacked, and as foster home after foster home disappointed him, Keith buckled down and set his focus on the one dream that had never abandoned him. Above all else, Keith was stubborn, and Keith was smart. The Garrison had given him a chance like no one else had, a full scholarship and a place to stay, on the grounds that he put in the work. This was supposed to be his chance to turn his life around. Yet once again, he was fucking it up.

Keith had never been good at making friends.

He could hear them gaining on him with every passing second, and he turned hard into a corridor only to find a dead end. His heart jumped to his throat, panic and grisly resignation threatening to take him over. It was one more fight, he told himself. Just one more. He was no stranger to bloodied knuckles and bruises that burned, but Keith wished, he wished…

_THUD!_

It was the distinct sound of someone hitting the ground hit him hard, and Keith froze.

“Watch it.” The new voice interrupted, filled with venom and barely held contempt. Keith flattened himself against the wall, daring to catch a glimpse of what happened. In the corridor he’d just left, one of Carl’s friends, the big one with an overbite that would scare most dentists, was slowly picking himself up as an upperclassman looked down on him with disdain.

Overbite growled at himself and went to continue the chase, but the upperclassman stuck out his foot and seemed to trip him. The boy went sprawling again, and this time taking the rest of Carl’s crew with him as they finally caught up. They lay on the floor and groaned, hands clasped over their smarting injuries while the upperclassman watched impassively.

“I would tell you to pick on someone your own size, but I think you’re too much of a coward to take me up on the offer.” The older boy said calmly. “So consider this a warning instead.” He turned his back on the writhing mass as they scrambled to pick themselves up and flee in the opposite direction. He strolled down the hall, pausing only when he reached Keith’s lackluster hiding spot. Keith hadn’t seen this boy before, but he wasn’t sure how he could have missed him. The upperclassman was broad shouldered and handsome, clearly East Asian. What set him apart were the scars, a deep slash crossing the bridge of his nose and his bangs already gone shock white. Keith found himself wondering if the other boy had dyed it, Garrison regulations wouldn’t have allowed such a thing.

“You okay?”

The question shocked Keith out of his thoughts and he flushed angrily at being caught staring. He drew himself up, squaring off with the upperclassman. “I didn’t need your help, I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue and kept it open, blinking furiously at the other boy who  _agreed_ with him? He wasn’t sure how to respond to that one. He settled on crossing his arms with an irritated huff. “Next time, just mind your own business.”

“Sorry, I’m not the kind of guy who’s just going to sit by and let someone face a pack of assholes outnumbered, even if you can fight.” He shrugged one shoulder and shot Keith a heart-racing grin. “Everybody needs backup sometimes.”

Keith grumbled, but the upperclassman wouldn’t let it go. He held out his hand until Keith begrudgingly shook it.

“I’m Shiro. You’re Keith, right? I’ve been keeping an eye on you, your flight simulator scores are pretty impressive.”

“I didn’t cheat!” Keith snapped, yanking his hand away and bristling.

“I never said you did. In fact, I think you’re probably one of the most talented pilots the Garrison has ever seen. Give you a couple of years, and you might even break a few records.”

It was a nice thing to say. Keith scowled.

He waited for the other shoe to drop, bracing himself for a thorn in his side, but Shiro’s gaze was openly appraising, and when he smiled, it looked like he liked what he saw. Keith didn’t buy it, but Shiro was very persuasive.

“I’ll be seeing you, Keith.” He said, completely unfazed, and he turned down the corridor without looking back. As he watched Shiro’s retreating form, Keith wondered if that was supposed to be a threat.

Yet in the days that followed, it felt like Keith was on the wrong end of that promise. Everywhere he looked, Shiro was there. The upperclassman commanded a presence whenever he walked into a room, and Keith found his attention drawn every time. Even when he wasn’t looking, he found him in the common rooms, in the library. He caught glimpses of him as he passed between classes, finding that shock of snowy white hair in the middle of a crowded hallway like a beacon, and couldn’t help but notice him in the cafeteria. Shiro sat with the elite of the Garrison’s pilots-in-training, rubbing elbows with the best and brightest like it was nothing, and when Keith least expected it, he would turn to him and grin. It caught him by the throat every time.

Keith’s first reaction was to run. Nothing good had ever come from being on someone’s radar. Long before the Garrison, he was happiest when he went unseen. The kids at the orphanage liked to pretend he wasn’t there, and every now and then, the older ones who could remember would talk about him in hushed tones, just another horror story to add to a never-ending pile. First the newcomers would get scared, then they’d get bored. The result was the same, they all left him alone in the end, and that suited Keith fine. They couldn’t hurt him if they were too busy ignoring him.

Shiro shouldn’t have been any different. Except Shiro hadn’t done anything yet. The waiting was driving Keith up the wall, like he was walking through a minefield with nothing but a prayer. He spent so much time focused on his escape that he missed Shiro’s first move entirely.

There was an absence in Keith’s life now, a new quiet. As he circled Shiro, he failed to notice that someone had dropped off his grid entirely. Ever since the night he’d met Shiro, it seemed like Carl was avoiding him.

That was stupid. Even if it was true, it had to be a coincidence. Otherwise that meant something Keith wasn’t ready to think about. Something like Shiro _helping_ him. That was ridiculous. What he had to do was focus. Midterms were coming up, and he needed to start reviewing or there was no way he would keep his scholarship. Day by day, the library grew more crowded, but it was still quiet enough that he could escape almost everything. His thoughts proved the most difficult.

A book dropped before his eyes and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked up, and there Shiro was, watching him with open amusement. Keith inhaled sharply.

“Careful cadet, you keep that up, and I might think you liked me.”

“In your dreams.” Keith muttered as Shiro straddled a chair beside him with a laugh.

“Well, yeah. But you’re usually wearing a whole lot less than...” Shiro drawled and Keith felt his cheeks heating up. He glared at the other boy, trying to keep his attention on the book on the table in front of him and not the wicked gleam in Shiro’s dark eyes.

“Shut up, I’m studying.” He snapped and earned himself a swift hush and a strange look from the librarian. Keith buried his face in his book, trying to ignore the way Shiro’s laughter raced down his spine.

“I’d offer to help you study, but you don’t need my help, do you? You’re the top of your class, I don’t know why you don’t rub it in those little assholes’ faces when they give you grief.”

It caught him by surprise and Keith looked up. He was too used to being kicked around that he regarded Shiro’s kindness with suspicion. There was too much politics around grades and class ranking, Keith didn’t have the patience to care. He tried to keep his head down and focus on learning, but he chafed under the rules and restrictions of the Garrison. They were holding him back, focusing more on protocol than on the skills that would lead him to the stars. For now, he ground his teeth and kept his temper for his dream, but between the stupid useless rules and being constantly targeted by his classmates, his fuse was burning short.

He never expected anything else from anyone and he gaped, tongue tied as Shiro leaned in closer. “I-I’m busy. Just leave me alone.”

“Alright.” Shiro didn’t argue or pressure him, another strange surprise. He stood up and paused. “Though I was thinking maybe I could offer you more hands on studying.”

“What?!” Keith yelped, heat creeping back across his skin. His outburst earned him another loud hush from the librarian and he scowled angrily at Shiro. “I’m not like that.”

“Whoa, that’s not what I meant.” Shiro held up his hands, so sincere that Keith almost believed him. “I was talking about the simulator, I was just wondering if you wanted to log any extra hours. It would be a whole lot more fun than just studying theory. If you’re not up for it, that’s fine.”

The offer was hard to refuse and Keith gave him a sideways look. “You can get us into the simulator? I thought it was offline after school hours.”

“I’m on a…special accelerated program. I get access during off hours to prepare. So you in?”

“What’s the catch?” There was always one, no matter how charming Shiro’s smile was and how nice he pretended to be.

“There isn’t one.” Shiro said, reconsidered, and amended. “Well, there’s a small one.”

Keith felt a rush of bitter satisfaction in the pit of his stomach. Everything had a catch. Shiro was just another jackass in a long line of them.

Then Shiro leaned in close, voice dropping into a conspiratory whisper as he pointed over his shoulder. “Maybe don’t yell at me in the library anymore, you’re gonna give her a heart attack.”

Keith stared. Shiro looked so pleased with himself, he kind of wanted to shake him a little, but the upperclassman wouldn’t be swayed. He got to his feet with a careless grace, completely aware of what he was doing to Keith. The safer thing to do would be to keep studying. That wasn’t to say Shiro couldn’t find a way to jump him outside the library, but Keith would make it more difficult for him. Yet that didn’t sit right with him. Whatever Shiro wanted, it couldn’t be as simple as a fist fight.

Still, there was a hopeful part of Keith that whispered in the back of his mind, suggesting that maybe, maybe Shiro didn’t want _anything._ This was an opportunity to practice without the restraints of a class holding him down. This was his chance to really fly.

There was only one way to find out.

“Fine.” He ground out between clenched teeth, and felt his face go hot when Shiro punched the air. He couldn’t shove his books into his bag fast enough. When Shiro clapped him on the shoulder, it felt like a jolt of electricity coursed down his spine.

“Don’t worry about it.” Shiro laughed. “I promise, this’ll be a night you won’t forget.”

 

* * *

 

The training room looked different in the dark. Strange somehow. Wrong. They practiced here every day, but with the rest of the students back in their rooms for the night, there was a sense of the forbidden just being here. Or maybe that was Shiro himself.

No matter what he did, Keith always found himself tongue-tied and awkward. Every time he braced for cruelty or for a back-handed compliment, Shiro surprised him. The upperclassman was too charming and too kind to be real, but he seemed so honest that Keith didn’t know what to believe. The awful jokes didn’t help.

“How did you convince the instructors to let you do this?”

“No comet!” Shiro paused and wiggled his eyebrows, looking all too pleased with himself as Keith leveled a stare. “Oh come on, that’s funny. I’m hilarious!”

“Uh huh.” Keith deadpanned. “Are we going to train or what?”

The other boy pulled a pout before his grin broke through and he winked. “I guess my jokes are too out of this world for you.”

Keith sighed heavily, but he had to turn away before a chuckle escaped. Shiro just looked so hopeful with every terrible joke that Keith could barely keep it together. He desperately tried to change the subject before he embarrassed himself. “So why invite me?”

“Because you’re kind of amazing, I’ve thought so since the minute I saw you.” There was no trace of joking now and Keith squirmed.

“You don’t even know me, Shiro.”

“But I’d like to, if you’d let me. It’s all up to you.” Shiro hit the button to the simulator and unsealed the hatch, holding his hand out to Keith. “Fly with me?”

This was the part where he should go back to his room and bury himself in his books. There was no way any of this was real, no one in the Garrison gave a damn about him and no one ever wanted to know him, that much he’d known since he was a kid. You couldn’t trust people’s intentions, they always wanted to screw you over in the end. He knew better than to trust.

But Keith took Shiro’s hand anyways, his heart racing.

He expected Shiro to take the primary pilot’s seat, but Shiro dropped into the secondary position without a word, automatically moving to activate the latest program. Jupiter filled their screen, and Shiro paused, considering, before selecting a different location.

“What are you doing?” Keith asked. He hadn’t moved a muscle to help. He thought he knew what Shiro was doing, but that didn’t make sense.

“Switching out. I figured a series with less terrible gravity would be more fun. How do you feel about Neptune?”

“No. Why are you there?” Keith hadn’t meant it to sound like an accusation. Yet that made Shiro smile all the sharper. He swiveled in his chair, while taking great pleasure in the fact that he could swivel his chair.

“The whole point of this was for you to fly.” Shiro said simply, patting the empty pilot’s seat with intent. “Come on, Keith. Show me what you’ve got.”

Behind him, bottomless blues and swirling greens bloomed across the screen. Keith held his breath without even realizing it, as Neptune’s surface settled in high definition. It looked so close, he thought he could reach out and grab it in his hands. The sight whetted a hunger inside him, stoking the first greedy flames that Keith bit back with clenched teeth. He wanted that. He wanted everything. In this moment, it felt like he could have it.

His feet started on their own accord, and before Keith knew he was moving, he was adjusting the controls on the simulator. He didn’t need to ask for help. Shiro was quick on his feet, and learned enough to pick up whatever Keith wanted, and when Keith turned to him, he was smiling.

“Shiro. One thing.” Keith said, the pause between them heavy with intent. Shiro hesitated. Keith kind of liked having the upper hand. “Hope you can keep up.”

“Patience yields focus.” Shiro ran his hands over the controls, but he never took his eyes off of Keith. It was hard not to. As awkward and abrasive as Keith was normally, here he was firmly in command and in his element. His eyes shone with the challenge, revving the ship’s engines as the artificial gravity threw them back into their seats. “And I’m as focused as it gets.”

“Hell yeah!” Keith whooped, spiraling down towards the planet, pushing the ship to its limits. His hands danced over the controls, silencing alarms and forcing Shiro to actually pay attention to match him. The ship responded like it was a part of him, diving down through the thick blue clouds and blocking out their sensors before they broke free back into the endless starry sky.

Shiro tested him, changing the scenario to up the challenge, but Keith handled them all with ease. One engine sputtered out, but he compensated by redistributing power throughout the ship. Debris from a comet’s tail pelted their ship, and Keith’s grin widened as he sent them hurtling through the field of spinning rocks. They slipped between two crashing asteroids with bare inches on each side, making it through before the frozen rocks smashed together.

When they were done, Keith slumped back in his chair, heart thumping and laughing, still running on adrenaline. The instructors never let him fly like that, they called it too reckless. They wanted the same old standard responses and the same by-the-book flight patterns. They never realized that this was as close to perfection as they could feel.

“That was awesome!” He pumped his fist in the air and Shiro laughed, just as breathless.

“I knew you were impressive! Holy shit, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone handle the simulator like that before. You’ve got talent, Keith.”

“You really think so?” Keith’s eyes shone at the compliment, not even trying to hide how pleased it made him feel. “I’ve wanted to fly ever since I was a kid, it’s all I’ve ever dreamed about. If I could just… if I could get up there and just keep going. There’s so much out there we haven’t seen and I want to find it all.”

“You want to be free.”

Keith startled, a half-formed protest already on the tip of his tongue, but he flicked it off without a second’s hesitation. He knew what his answer was supposed to be. The Garrison was a symbol of hope and discovery, a pledge to humanity that meant to take it as far as possible into the Heavens. Keith may have supported those ideals, but when he was in the pilot’s chair, his motives were far more selfish.

Every day, he chased the stars, pushing himself to limits he didn’t know, both physically and mentally. Books had always come easy to him, but the Garrison made him work for his place. And it was all for this, that moment between a free fall and the next blast of his engines, that moment where all he could depend on was himself, and he could leave everything behind. Their stares and whispers would no longer dog him. His past wouldn’t suffocate his future. There was a galaxy to claim, and Keith wanted to see if he could reach far enough that he would find a place where his skills and his knowledge were the only things that mattered. So he dreamed and he flew.

For freedom. For the chance to belong.

Keith took his hands off the steering wheel. They were still trembling, but it was a good feeling, as the lingering bite of adrenaline was soothed. “It’s always better up there. It’s like nothing matters except how well I fly, and how good I am at keeping my crew safe. You leave behind everything that shouldn’t matter down here.”

“No more - no more rules. No more following anyone else’s plans.” Shiro said, and something in his voice made Keith turn towards him. There was a wistfulness in his smile. It made him look softer somehow, but in the same breath more dangerous. “They won’t let you fly like that in cargo,” Shiro warned. “But they’d be stupid if they put anywhere other than fighter class.”

“Why do you keep saying stuff like that?” Keith shifted in his chair, searching for answers written in Shiro’s face. “Why are you so nice to me?”

“Because I know what it’s like to be trapped somewhere you don’t want to be, everyone expecting things from you that you’re not ready to give.” Shiro said with a sad smile. “How they have this idea in their heads about the kind of person you’re supposed to be, but it never seems not matter what you want.” He held out his hands, tracing a thumb along one jagged scar that peeked out from under his sleeve. “Also, because I like you.”

“You like me?” Keith repeated like he couldn’t believe it. “No one likes me.”

“Then they’re idiots for not taking the time to get to know you. You’ve got the brightest destiny of anyone in this place and I want to help you get there. And maybe be your friend, if you’d let me.”

Keith pretended to consider it, features scrunched into a dark scowl before he spoke. “Fine, but only if you stop with dumb jokes.”

Shiro’s smile grew wicked as he grabbed Keith’s hand and yanked him up with a laugh. “Sorry I’m not funnier, I just need more time to planet ahead of time.” He barely got the joke out before Keith swatted him and he yelped, racing out of the simulator with Keith chasing at his heels.

It became their secret, one that made life at the Garrison almost bearable. After lights out, they’d meet in the simulator to test the limits of the space flight programs or lay under the curved ceiling of the lecture hall, maps of the stars shining above them like real stars but almost close enough to touch. Shiro even took him down to the training rooms, teaching him wrestling and self-defense in case Carl and his crew decided to bother him again. They broke the rules, but instead of causing mischief like the other cadets, they used their stolen time to study and hone their skills, working hard and testing their limits. Keith had never met anyone with the same drive and laser focus, someone who was just as eager to learn from Keith as he was to teach him.

No matter what they did, Shiro was always patient and infuriatingly funny, ready to support Keith at the end of a hard day with his smile and dry wit as they made the Garrison their own.

Somehow, Shiro had found a way through the walls Keith had raised around himself before he even realized they’d been breached. He made himself a home at Keith’s side, and Keith suffered through the boring grind of each day just for the few hours they could spend together at night. Real freedom, just for the two of them. A place where they could both belong.

A friend, and maybe something more.

Keith couldn’t remember the last time he’d cared about someone like this. If he had, he might have been able to save himself.

Nowadays, Keith didn’t bother with locking his door, knowing all too well that he would be leaving past curfew. His roommate never asked where he went, but as an engineering student, they shared all of one class together, a class with over 120 other students. Keith and his roommate hadn’t talked in months, but he wasn’t a snitch, and Keith could appreciate that. As soon as his phone rang, he was off. Shiro was waiting for him, but that just made Keith more impatient.

He found Shiro just outside his dorm wing, hands in his pockets, leaning against a wall. Keith quietly admitted that he made a pretty picture, but when Shiro turned to him, he smiled, entire face lighting up like someone had flicked a switch behind his eyes, and Keith had to plead the fifth before he admitted too much.

“I’m here!” Keith announced lamely. Shiro looked thrilled.

“Hi here! I’m Shiro.”

Keith scowled, but Shiro had no shame. He doubled over, stuffing his fist in his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Keith sighed. It was going to be a long night. He shoved at Shiro’s elbow and kept shoving until Shiro turned into him, draping his heavier form across Keith without a care in the world. Keith  _oomphed._

“Oh come on, that’s a classic!”

“I’m going to drop you, Shiro. No less than you deserve.” Try as he might, Keith could do nothing to dampen Shiro’s spirit, and his smile was too infectious to deny. Shiro made talky gestures with his left hand, and Keith hated that he found him funny. (He didn’t hate that as much as he should have.)

“Blah, blah, blah, you think I’m hilarious, Keith.”

“I’m going to sleep if you don’t stop acting like a dweeb.”

It was an empty threat, but Shiro grabbed his hand and tangled their fingers together. He held on like he really thought Keith would go, and Keith squeezed just a little bit tighter.

“Spoilsport. Besides, don’t you know what today is?”

“Tuesday?”

Shiro made a noise deep in his throat, then he was pulling Keith along. It was a winding route they knew well, far too experienced with sneaking around when they shouldn’t have. Keith didn’t need the extra assistance, he had no reason to keep holding Shiro’s hand. That didn’t mean he was going to let go any time soon.

“It’s the peak of the Leonid meteor shower.” Shiro said with such a flourish that Keith cracked a smile. “I figured you’d like to see it. The desert sky is always so clear, the mess behind the Garrison is going to have a perfect view.”

“How many other cadets do you think are sneaking out tonight to watch?”

“Probably most of them, but I’ve got us the best spot.” Shiro wasn’t kidding. He pulled Keith up to the Garrison’s roof, the whole desert stretched out before them under the night sky. The Garrison’s lights were dimmed, only the flicker of the runway and the hanger bay reflected the stars. In the middle of the roof was a heap of blankets and stolen pillows, bottles of soda, and even a bag of gummi bears for snacks. “I figured we might as well be comfortable while we watch.”

Keith was surprised. It seemed like Shiro always knew how to shock him. He was just so unlike anyone else Keith had ever met before, gentle but strong, confident without arrogance. He knew how to inspire and his sense of humor was atrocious. There was no logical reason why Shiro would waste his time with someone like  _him,_ but Keith couldn’t have imagined a better friend. It didn’t hurt that Shiro was gorgeous on top of it all. When he yanked Keith down to the nest of blankets and pillows, his shirt rode up past his navel and Keith couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to run his tongue across that sliver of exposed skin.

“Seems like you thought of everything.”

“I did my best.”

Keith settled in beside him, stretching out across the blankets. Shiro was warm and Keith couldn’t fight the way their bodies curled together, drawn by the same irresistible gravity that held the stars in the sky.

Keith had never been a coward, but tonight he felt especially bold. He stretched an arm across his side, carefully draping it around Shiro’s waist, and the pause that followed bit like winter’s chill. Then Shiro squirmed closer, mirroring him until Keith could slump against his side, his cheek pressing against Shiro’s shoulder. It took all of five seconds, and Keith felt like he’d taken a fall in the simulator and his stomach still hadn’t caught up.

The Garrison was bright, but the deep night seemed to swallow up its glow. On the roof, it felt like they were the only ones in the entire world.

“I bet some sap down there’s expecting a dozen at a time.” Keith huffed, reaching for a drink. He never got that far.

“Keith, look.”

Shiro pointed up at the sky, careful not to jostle the way they were tangled together, and Keith watched a streak of light cut across the endless void. He’d seen countless pictures, watched real life footage brought from the depths of space, but like this, close and intimate, took Keith’s breath away and made him feel small.

“Someday, I’m going to be up there.” Keith whispered, more a promise than a wish. It the darkness, his pledge was given legitimacy, making everything possible. With Shiro by his side, it felt like he had the push he needed to make it all the way up to the Heavens.

“I know you will. It’s where you belong.” Shiro said, soft and solemn enough to turn Keith’s head. “It used to be the only thing I could ever offer you, bits and pieces from the sky.”

Two more meteors flashed across the dim. Keith missed them entirely, brows furrowing as he tried to wrap his head around a joke that Shiro wasn’t making. For a moment, Shiro only looked sad. Keith might not have known what was going on, but he wanted to do everything in his power to make the weight on his shoulders go away. “Shiro?”

“Can I?” Shiro’s smile was fragile with fear. Keith had never seen him so hesitant. He would have promised him anything. Shiro reached of his hand, gently tracing the scarred skin on the back of his palm. Most days Keith forgot the mark existed and when he remembered, he hated it for reasons that escaped his grasp, but Shiro sent a thrill through his nerves that rippled down his spine to curl his toes. It was the bracelet above it that caught Shiro’s attention, light like thread, even with the precious amulet framed in it. There was a time Keith thought it was made of space dust.

Then Shiro revealed its partner.

“I kept it.” He said, fitting the two halves together, his piece locking with Keith’s. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t bring it back sooner.”

Keith jerked upright in shock, half-remembered memories flooding to the surface. There’d been another boy at the orphanage that…no, that wasn’t possible. He hadn’t been real, it had just been an imaginary friend. A coping mechanism, he remembered the social worker saying those words clearly though he’d been too young to understand what they meant. It had been so long, he’d forgotten. “How?! You’re not supposed to be real!”

Gentle hands covered Keith’s own, as warm and solid as anyone’s. “I’m real, Keith. Just because they might not see me doesn’t mean I’m not real.”

“ _Might not see you?_ ” Keith’s mind raced. No, no, no, Shiro was a student. He was always sitting with the popular upperclassmen, he wore their uniform, he knew how to fly the simulator. This was just another horrible joke, and yet…Keith couldn’t help but think of the strange looks the librarian always gave him when the two of them whispered together in the library with no one else around. Almost like he was talking to himself. And to think of it, he’d never really seen Shiro take any classes and never heard his name mentioned by the instructors or other students. He hung around the others, but Keith couldn’t remember a single time he’d seen Shiro speak to any of them. They always met after classes and spent the evening alone. 

This couldn’t possibly be real.

“It’s okay if you don’t remember me, we were both really young. I just want you to know that I would have never left you if I had any choice and I came back as soon as I could. I’m sorry it took so long.” Shiro was so earnest, but Keith only started at him, mind numb. “Keith?”

“B-but you’re a, you’re an-”

“An angel. Your angel.”

Keith surged to his feet, stumbling over the blankets in his haste. “This isn’t funny, Shiro. I don’t know how you found out about my childhood imaginary friend, but this goes too far! It’s not funny anymore.”

“I-I didn’t. I’m not making this up.” Shiro pulled himself up, hands outstretched in worry but Keith wouldn’t let himself be corralled. “I can prove it.”

“You can prove you’re an angel. This is crazy, I have to be going crazy.” Keith ran his hands through his hair, an edge of hysteria in his voice. “I honestly lost it or you’re playing me, that’s the only explanation.”

“Keith, please.” Shiro coaxed him out of his spiral and it wasn’t fair that he felt so real. “Just watch.” He reached one hand up to the sky as Keith watched him warily. In an instant, the sky was full of shooting stars, thousands burning like a glittering rain and lighting the entire desert in the flare.

Beneath them, someone cried out, and Keith could hear the stampede of cadets who should have been in bed rushing to get a better view. Yet part of him still wondered if it was all in his head, and his stomach twisted unhappily. Shiro was watching him, trembling with bitter hope, and Keith hated that he could sympathize all too well.

“I probably shouldn’t have done that. It’s going to be all over the news tomorrow.” Shiro said, trying for a smile. It didn’t sit well, when he was trying to shrink into himself.

Could that all be in Keith’s mind, too?

“Keith?” He sounded so unsure of himself. Keith hated it, almost as he hated how much he wanted to apologize. “Say something, please?”

“Where did you go?”

Keith didn’t know he’d cared until the question escaped. There was a pressure in his chest, building and building until it pressed against his ribs from the inside and out. It was only a matter of time before something broke, and when it did, Keith would shatter. He balled his hands into fists, nails digging into the meat of his palm. It was the only way to keep himself from reaching out and doing something stupid. Stupid because he wanted this so badly to be real.

“I made them go away.” There was a hollowness in Shiro’s voice that made Keith shiver. He’d turned away from Keith, staring out over the edge of the roof, but his eyes tracked something beyond Keith’s sight. “The Joneses. Do you remember? I- they… They weren’t good people. I couldn’t let them get to you, and I knew they’d try again. I had to get rid of them. I couldn’t let anyone hurt you.“

He swallowed thickly, and tried to smile. Shadow and moonlight played across his features, and for a second, Keith thought he was looking into the mirthless grin of a barren skull. Shiro was shaking. "It took longer than I expected.”

Keith took one step forward, then another. Careful fingers reached out and Shiro held still as they traced along the deep scar that slashed across his face. Shiro closed his eyes at the touch, Keith looking at him like he’d never really seen him before. “You’re real.”

“I’m real.”

“You were trying to protect me?”

“Always.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?!” Keith demanded, but his heart was trying to break through its prison of bone, hammering like the bass of a drum. 

“I was scared.” It was such an open, honest confession, filled with such  _human_ sentiment that Keith ached for him. “I wanted to tell you since the moment I saw found you. I just. I didn’t know if you remembered me. I didn’t know if you’d even like me. I just wanted my best friend back.” Shiro paused, with his heart in his hands and too much fire in his eyes, and no one had ever looked at Keith like that before.

“You’re still my best friend, right?”

Keith wasn’t sure if he was convinced or lured by the moonlight and the untold story written in his best friend’s skin, but belief in angels always required a leap of faith. If there was anything Keith was good at, it was leaping without taking the time to look. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck, pulling him down into a firm kiss. A gasp passed between them, quiet surprise swallowed in the taste of him.

And then Shiro’s hands found their way to Keith’s waist, gentle but still so damned confident as they held him close. When Keith let his eyes slip closed, he swore he could feel the brush of silky feathers against his bare skin. When they finally parted, Keith seemed almost dazed, mouth still open and breathless. “How are you doing all of this?” He whispered.

That made Shiro laugh, a sound that resonated against Keith’s chest and stole a smile before he could stop himself. The angel’s fingertips sparked with light like liquid gold and he traced them around Keith’s head like a glimmering halo that lingered in the darkness. “I’ll teach you. I’ll show you everything now, nothing will keep me away again.”

Keith pulled him into another kiss under the golden glow.

 

* * *

 

By the time Shiro left Keith, it was almost dawn and the sky had already turned a soft purple. There wasn’t much time before the rest of the Garrison was up for the day, but Keith had refused to sleep when there had been so much to share. A lifetime of stories, heartache, loneliness, and determination over the years that Shiro had missed and the angel sat in rapt attention as he listened to his friend’s every word. It was like the floodgates had been opened and everything Keith had kept inside for so long rushed out in a torrent of words.

Afterwards, they sat together without speaking, just learning the feel of each other again. Steady and gentle, drowsing under the stars and wrapped in warm blankets until Shiro finally insisted that Keith sneak back inside before someone caught him. They would always have tomorrow night and every night afterwards. He left Keith with a kiss and a promise of more to come.

There was so much more Shiro had planned.

He changed as he walked, shedding his human form like fog, body remaking itself into more comfortable skin. The illusion took some effort to maintain, but it had its uses. Wings burst from his back, billowing above him as he shook the feathers out like a preening bird, every one a slick and oily black. His right arm twisted, black feathers bleeding from the skin and human fingers lengthening into monstrous claws. Ebony horns curled back from his forehead, their wicked tips edged with silver. Shiro stretched until his muscles popped, enjoying the pleasure of his own form.

“You’re taking too long.” A voice hissed from beside him, the last of the night’s shadows coalescing into an indistinct shape. “The master is getting impatient.”

“Tell him that he’ll just have to wait. If he wants Keith, it’ll take time to do it right.” Shiro sounded almost bored before flashing the shadow a fanged smile. “Besides, we both know I’m the only one who can give him what he wants.”


	3. Chapter 3

Keith was in trouble. He was thirty minutes into a lecture on defensive flying; he couldn’t tell his ass from the white board, and he didn’t even want to try and concentrate. A few months ago, even a few weeks ago, this was one of his favorite classes, but ever since he’d started taking the simulator on nightly runs, every other lesson paled in comparison. Nothing in a book was going to prepare him for an emergency. Theory was useless without constant and frequent application, but they weren’t even scheduled for practice drills for another two days. Keith wouldn’t even know how much he was missing out on if it wasn’t for-  _ Ugh _ .

Keith dropped his pen, and frowned the entire time he bent to pick it up. It didn’t matter where he started. He ended in the same place every time, with his heart beating too quickly, and anticipation twisting like a noose around his throat. Almost absently, he touched his bottom lip, and memory sparked another rush of heat through his veins. Every time he’d kissed him, Shiro had kissed back.

Keith didn’t want to be here. Sitting still made him want to burst. If this lecture chaffed any more, Keith would be a walking rash. There was so much he could be doing, so many other ways he could be preparing for the moment he could claim the stars. A license was just a piece of paper, and now Keith knew someone who could bring him all the way.

If Shiro was telling the truth. If any of it was real.

Keith still wasn’t sure. It was ridiculous, but Shiro’s story was terribly persuasive. It had been a long time since Keith had wanted to believe in something so badly.

“You’re thinking too hard for someone who’s not paying attention.”

Keith inhaled sharply. There Shiro was, leaning on his desk, wearing a carelessly smug expression that fit him too well. Keith looked around quickly, a half-forgotten fear rearing its head, but he didn’t need to worry. No one else in class noticed him. Shiro noticed his concern and laughed, not unkindly.

“If there’s one thing I don’t miss,” the angel grinned. “It’s all that hiding. Don’t worry. I’ve gotten a lot better at that.”

Keith gave a furtive look around, but no one seemed to see Shiro lounging comfortably beside him. The angel gave him a wink and strolled down between the desks towards the front of the room. He seemed human in every way, just as real and alive as anyone else in the classroom, but it was like he was a ghost and no one so much as glanced in his direction.

“It took me a while to get the hang of it. I didn’t know how to use all of my powers back when we were kids.” Shiro flashed him a rueful smile as Keith just stared with wide eyes. “I could teach you, if you’d like. I think you’d be good at it. Plus, it would be a whole lot more interesting than being stuck here learning about some theory you’ll never use when you fly.”

“Mr. Kogane.” The instructor called his name sharply and Keith jerked his attention back to the center of the room as the other cadets laughed. “Is there something you’d like to share with the rest of the class?”

“No. Sorry, sir.” Keith muttered before giving Shiro another look. The angel had the good grace to look embarrassed and offered a shrug. Keith winced as a rolled up paper ball bounced off his back and glared at Carl who snickered at him from two rows over.

“You finally cracking up?” He hissed as Keith bristled. Keith wasn’t the only one.

Shiro strode from the front of the room to confront the bully, leaning down to get a better look at the boy with his lip curled in disgust. “They never really change, do they?” It was hard to concentrate on the Instructor with Shiro talking and Keith struggled to keep his eyes forward. “Cruel, tiny bullies who target anyone who threatens their power. You know he’s scared of you, right? He knows he’ll never be the pilot you are, and he wants to try and convince you that you’re not before you realize the truth.”

Keith flushed with the praise. He knew he was good. He knew he could outmatch Carl in every parameter possible. There was no competition. But a part of him still wondered if he really was losing his mind, and this was his damaged subconscious trying to give him what he wanted, reaffirmation in the best friend he could imagine. Then a crash stopped the class dead in its tracks.

“Mr. Lawson!”

As one, they turned to find Carl splayed on the ground, his chair tipped over and bag spilled across the floor, laptop in two pieces. There was an angel standing behind him. A rush of vindication warmed Keith’s bones, and the nonchalance in Shiro’s shrug told him all he needed to know. Guilt came a second too late, but it was muted and dull. Shiro was already making his way to the front of the room, skirting around the instructor who looked like he wanted to help get Carl to his feet. Keith struggled to remember where he was supposed to be looking when Shiro stopped at the front of the class, gave him a two-fingered salute and disappeared out the door.

Keith should have felt relieved. He didn’t.

Then there was a knock on the door, and Professor Montgomery walked through, her beady eyes glinting. “At ease, Jerome. I’m going to need Kogane. Can you spare him?”

His instructor was in two sorts, torn between the sudden and inexplicable collapse of a student and the abrupt appearance of his superior. Keith, too, was doing an unfairly good impression of a goldfish, but he came back to himself enough to shove his things into his bag and bolt out the door. It felt like his entire class was watching him leave. He got about halfway down the hall before Prof. Montgomery disappeared, and in her place stood Shiro, completely and utterly satisfied with himself.

“You can do that?” Keith gawked, only a little tired of how constantly surprised he was.

“Just a little something I learned along the way.” Shiro unapologetically bragged. He shuddered exaggeratedly. “I don’t think I ever changed that much, kinda makes my head hurt though.”

“But they actually saw you!” The last shreds of doubt were ripped away and Keith laughed, overwhelmed at the possibilities of what this all meant. Shiro’s grin matched his own as he swept Keith up in his arms, pressing him up against the wall of the hallway.

“Only when I want them to. I can do a lot of things these days.” There was a rumble to Shiro’s voice that sent need racing along Keith’s nerves. This was wrong, they’d never broken the rules like this before. Sure, they’d snuck out for training, using the stolen time to practice and study instead of causing trouble, but this? It was the first time they’d broken the rules for the thrill of it and he couldn’t even protest when Shiro pressed a kiss to his neck. Keith’s head tipped back against the wall as Shiro pressed against him, a teasing weight down the length of his body pinning him back.

“We can’t do this here.” It was a weak protest, one Keith didn’t really mean but Shiro pulled back just the same.

“I can teach you to stay hidden so no one can find you. I’ll teach you everything I know, Keith.”

That kind of promise made Keith giddy, the power of it right at his fingertips. He could do more than reach the stars, he could pluck them right out of the sky. “How? You’re an, an  _ angel _ .” He whispered the word like he still couldn’t believe it.

“And we were both made by the same Creator. All our powers are in you too, they’re just locked away where you can’t reach them, and humans have the endless potential of a soul.” Shiro’s breath was hot against his skin and Keith swallowed a low moan, trying not to let his friend’s hands distract him. “Lucky for you, you’ve got a Guardian willing to bend the rules just a little bit. There’s so much to the world that you don’t even know about, I can’t wait for you to see it.”

His palms ghosted up the front of Keith’s chest, following the crisp lines of his uniform. They left fire in their wake, an impossible burn that bit through fabric to scald his skin. Keith’s knees buckled as Shiro’s fingers traced the line of his throat, pressing against the swell of his Adam’s apple before settling on the tip of his chin, tilting it until Keith bared his neck, craning to meet Shiro. He didn’t dare breathe.

“All you have to do is ask.” The words kissed his lips. Keith never knew an angel could be capable of such temptation, but there was only one answer he could give.

“Show me.”

He was already falling.

The air around him pinched and pulled, pressing against him for all directions, and Keith never got a chance to gasp. All at once, he was blinded, the bright light of day shining in his eyes and forcing him to squint. There was a force pulling him backwards, but a steady grip around his waist kept him from going all the way, and the endless blue sky spread above him. 

They stood a foot off the ledge of the Garrison’s roof, and Shiro with his arms around Keith’s waist, Keith standing on Shiro’s feet. Shiro was the only one keeping him from falling. A shock of icy cold panic coursed through his veins, building into a scream, but a gentle hand covered his lips, stealing it before it ever get so far. Shiro was looking down on him. The sun’s glare left his face in a mask of shadow, and the corner of his smile darkened with unseen depths. Keith held on tighter.

“Flight.” Shiro whispered, his hands moving to Keith’s back, following the supple curve of his spine. Keith was tipsy on a cocktail of fear and anticipation, and he wasn’t careful, Shiro was going to get him drunk. “We’ll work our way up to that one.”

Keith was still trembling when they returned to the roof, no matter how solid the stone beneath his feet was supposed to be.

Something was wrong but Keith couldn’t tell what it was. He was the impulsive one, reckless to a fault and ruled by instinct that led him constantly into trouble. He leaped before he looked, resorted to his fists before resolving a conflict and Shiro held him back with calm, tempered patience. But now Shiro was igniting a fire inside of him that felt like it was going to consume him whole and Keith was all too eager to fan the flames. “I want to know everything. Teach me!”

“Let’s start with something easy and work our way up.” Shiro’s fingertips began to glow a molten gold and he touched them to Keith’s own, leaving a lingering light. The mark on the back of Keith’s hand flared and burned, fading along the edges under Shiro’s powers. “Now that won’t be holding you back anymore. All that power is locked away inside of you, what you need to do is chose to release it.”

“Chose to release it?” Keith shook his hand, rubbing his thumb along the tender skin of the mark. He could still make it out, but Shiro was right. It was almost gone. “There’s no way it’s that easy.”

“Why not? Have you ever tried it?” Shiro said with an encouraging smile. “People don’t ask themselves to do things they’ve already decided are impossible.” He caught Keith’s chin with his hand, tilting it up. Something flickered across Shiro’s face, something pained and haunted, gone too quick to know. “And there’s nothing easy about making a choice. It can be the hardest thing in the universe.”

Keith grumbled to himself and pulled away, holding out his hand sullenly and feeling foolish. This wasn’t going to work, but Shiro stood there as supportive and patient as always and Keith sighed, realizing he was going to have to at least try and take this seriously. He closed his eyes and concentrated, pushing away all the doubt and the embarrassment. If Shiro said he could do this, he wasn’t going to let his friend down. All he had to do was decide his fingers could glow.

He was resigned to his failure until he heard Shiro’s quiet hum of approval.

“You’re a quicker study than even I was expecting.”

The voice came from behind him and Keith couldn’t stifle a gasp as Shiro moved into place, his chest firm against Keith’s back. His arms settled easily around Keith’s waist, bracing him before he reached up to touch Keith’s hand. Even the sun couldn’t dim the power that crackled at Keith’s fingertips. It pulled at his skin, licking at his flesh, and Keith couldn’t explain it but he knew that if should burn.

“You have incredible potential inside of you, Keith.” Shiro whispered, voice like silk along the curve of his ear, and Keith shivered in the day’s warmth. “I want to see what you can do.”

 

* * *

 

They took the long way down the roof, using the stairs like everyone else. Keith was tired, but it was a good tired, like he’d gone twelve rounds with a sparring partner. His arms were heavy and loose, nerves still humming with lingering adrenaline. Shiro hadn’t stopped touching him yet.

He found strength in Shiro’s hands. They could hold him up and take him apart with an ease that left Keith’s head spinning. They both laughed, riding high at their own success. Tired as he was, Keith had never felt so powerful before. There was something inside of him that felt like it was fighting to be free, a restless need he couldn’t name that Shiro had released inside of him.

It was like racing against time in the simulator or the few precious moments he’d stolen in a hovercraft, hurtling through the desert with the controls maxed out. It was the feeling he got looking up at the stars, that rush of want and possibility. The feeling that he was more than what he was or where he came from, that all his loss and loneliness didn’t define him. He wasn’t the orphan kid anymore, he was  _ somebody _ .

And Shiro had believed in him every step of the way.

They tumbled down to the hallway, stealing one kiss. And another, laughing so hard they could barely catch a taste of each other before breaking apart. The world was open for the two of them and Keith couldn’t wait to take it all.

“Out of the way.”

Across the hall, there was a heavy smack as one of the younger cadets hit the floor and the sound of cackling, sharp as gunshots. They stayed hidden on the far end of the corridor to watch the scene unfold, but Keith’s good mood vanished in a rush as Keith watched Carl and his friends descend on the young woman.

“He’s a menace.” Shiro growled. Keith was close enough to feel the way his voice reverberated through his chest. They held their position, but this time it wasn’t fear or apprehension that kept Keith steady. A new sort of anticipation settled low in the pit of his belly, spreading through his limbs until it held him arrested.    
  
“Someone has to stop him.” Keith wasn’t aware he spoke until Shiro laughed at his side, a low rumble not unlike a cat’s purr. It wasn’t a nice laugh. Then his hands covered Keith’s, and that shimmering warmth returned as quickly as the first flare of a match.    
  
In front of them, the cadet was picking herself up off the ground, backing away until they had her flanked. She was a quiet student Keith recognized from Basic Training. Keith wondered what she’d done to bruise Carl’s ego. 

“You could stop him.”   
  
Keith realized he wanted to. He wanted to be the one to make sure Carl never laid a hand on anyone ever again. Shiro may have wielded a siren’s song, but Keith was charging head first into temptation.   
  
“I don’t know how.” Frustration crept into his voice, the first threads cutting through a haze Keith hadn’t felt settle.   
  
“You’ll know if you just give in.”   
  
It was like he was walking through a fog, limbs sluggish and weak. The corners of his vision blurred, dotting with flecks of black, but the flickering light at his fingers remained clear.  It was all he could focus on.   
  


“Shiro?”

  
“He’s a bully and a coward. He’ll never fight fair. He likes it when you’re helpless and scared. Just like the rest of them. Just like all of them.” Shiro cast a spell on him, as heady as any drug, and Keith shuddered everywhere they touched, feeling heat lick at his skin. Heat. And hunger.   
  
“You’ve been angry for so long, Keith. Let him see.”   
  
In Keith’s mind, Carl was already down. Cut open and butchered, his back torn open in jagged ribbons, uniform stained with blood so thick it looked black. It would be so easy. Keith just had to push.    
  
He shivered, trying to shake away the feeling and a rush of nausea washed over him. No… no not like that. Carl needed to be stopped but not like that. Keith pushed out without thinking, and suddenly the straps of Carl’s bag came undone, spilling everything across the floor. The cadet took her chance and ran, she’d already turned the corridor before Carl or his cronies could recover.   
  
Keith was trembling, but when he looked up, Shiro was as pale as a sheet, gaze distant and unseeing, his eyes wet with unshed tears. He didn’t look scared; he looked terrified. Then Shiro smiled, and the illusion broke. He was the best friend Keith recognized.    
  
“That was quick thinking.”

“I didn’t mean to?” Keith looked at his hands, but Shiro took them in his own and laced their fingers together.

“You saved her. They were going to hurt her and you saved her, that makes you a hero. Someday, you might be able to help lots of people like this, but first you need a break.” Shiro said as Keith tried to protest, but there was no arguing with his angel and he finally relented. There were worse things than letting Shiro take care of him.

 

* * *

 

It had been hard enough for Keith to keep his mind on his studies before, the lectures and the rules feeling more like a prison than a road to freedom. Now, it was almost impossible. The Garrison had been a means to an end, the only way he would be able to reach the stars. He’d swallowed their protocols with barely restrained disdain and it was only his strong performance with the flight controls that kept them from throwing him out for the mounting discipline issues.

Shiro had given him clarity and focus for a while, giving him the patience to deal with the rules Keith thought were too stupid to follow. He’d helped him vent his frustrations in ways that weren’t destructive, honing his skills sharper through challenges that kept him engaged and willing to play by the Garrison’s rules for a little bit longer.

But now, it all felt so useless. There was so much power at his fingertips, an untapped well inside of him that could rewrite the laws of the world itself. There were no more barriers, no more people telling him what he couldn’t do. He could be anything, go anywhere, Shiro had opened his eyes and the Garrison felt like a prison.

Keith skipped his classes and ignored his homework, spending every waking moment with Shiro and demanding to learn more. He could set his glowing fingertips on fire now, watching the flame dance harmlessly across his skin without burning him at all. He could coax a flower from a seed and whisper the words to make it bloom. He could lay on his back beside Shiro and shape the clouds with a thought, playing games to see which one could guess what the other was making. Every day the mark on the back of his hand faded a little more. It felt like he was living in a dream, but he never felt more alive.

He’d been waiting his entire life for this. This was what he was meant to be doing.

Sometimes they tried to take it away from him. Someone would try to talk to him, but there was always a problem with their records or an unfortunate emergency that needed immediate attention. Or sometimes a school administrator would track Keith down, only to find they’d mistaken a completely different student for him. He was a minor issue that just kept getting pushed back, and for once, Keith didn’t care that he was no one’s priority.

There was only one person who mattered, and he wouldn’t let him go.

A hand settled around Keith’s waist, jerking him close, and Keith almost dropped his bag. Shiro had appeared as if out of thin air, running a hand down Keith’s side. He wasn’t satisfied until they were pressed chest to chest and he could feel Keith sag against him.

“Hi.”

Shamelessly smug and carelessly possessive, Keith wondered how different the angel from his memories was to the one who wore such a wicked smile. He told himself it didn’t matter. Those memories were brittle and dull. The Shiro wrapped in his arms was real.

“Doors were made for knocking.” Keith snorted, but he wasn’t complaining. His dorm was Shiro’s to share. Shiro pulled a pout like he didn’t know.

“That’s why I don’t use them. Besides, I wanted to show you something.”

Something settled in Keith’s chest when he recognized that old spark of excitement in Shiro’s eyes, and the bracelet on his wrist sat as a pleasant reminder. One by one, he could pull Shiro’s wonderous stories from his past, but they were sweeter now because someday soon, Keith knew he’d be able to live them.

“Where is it?”

“Not here. It’s a surprise. Can you come with me?” Shiro joked, but he always asked, always made it feel like Keith had the final say. And Keith always said yes.

He twined his fingers with Shiro’s, and in a second they were gone. The world dissolved and remade around them, but Shiro’s grip never faltered, even when Keith stumbled closer, trying to catch his bearings. A thousand stars burst overhead, stretching across the sky in every direction. They were deep in the desert outside the Garrison, and the cold bit into Keith’s bones, but all of that paled in comparison to Shiro’s present.

In front of Keith was a military grade hovercraft, its engine already purring as she waited for a rider.

“How did you-”

“Some cadet is going to get a black mark on their record,” Shiro dismissed with intentional carelessness, and sometimes Keith wondered what other depths his smile hid. But those were thoughts for a different time.

“You stole a hovercraft and blamed it on one of the cadets? You couldn’t just magic one up on your own?” Keith raised an eyebrow as Shiro shrugged.

“It’s not easy to create human technology, I’m never really sure how the parts fit together.” Shiro beamed down at him. “And I didn’t pick anyone who didn’t deserve to be in a little trouble. C’mon, Keith. I just wanted to see you fly and since you can’t do it on your own yet, this is the best way you can show me.” He jingled the keys in front of Keith’s face. “Unless you don’t want to?”

Maybe he should have been worried, but Shiro had always been the one to care about patience when all Keith wanted to do was see how fast they could run. He snatched the keys out of Shiro’s hand and elbowed the angel out of the way. “Just make sure you’re strapped in, this probably goes a whole lot faster than fluffy wings can carry you.”

Shiro laughed and swung himself up onto the hovercraft as Keith settled in front of him, ass fitting perfectly into the curve of Shiro’s lap. “I don’t think you know how fast ‘fluffy wings’ can go.”

Keith didn’t answer, just started the hovercraft and yanked back on the controls, sending them rocketing vertically into the air. He laughed as Shiro yelped in surprise, arms tightening around Keith’s body to hang on. “I did tell you to strap in.” He said innocently.

“Very funny.” Shiro leaned in to breathe the words against the shell of Keith’s ear. “I’m not actually a corporeal being, I can’t  _ fall _  unless I decide to fall.”

“But you can shriek.”

“You shut up.” There wasn’t any rancor in Shiro’s voice as he nuzzled against Keith’s shoulder, shaking slightly as he silently laughed.

Keith was in his element, but he took the time to familiarize himself with the hovercraft’s controls. He ran his hands over the dash with an almost reverence. There was power in the machine that spoke to him, whispers of aiming towards the horizon and not stopping until he caught it. “Where do you want to go?”

“Away.” Shiro kissed his neck and sent a shiver down Keith’s spine. “You’re supposed to be impressing me, remember?”

“I thought I didn’t need to.”

Keith felt Shiro laugh, and the angel’s arms tightened around his waist with simple, easy affection that Keith had been starved of for so long. “You don’t. I’m already impressed.”

Keith turned to look over his shoulder, reaching for Shiro, and his angel pressed closer too eagerly, his hands in Keith’s hair, pulling him the rest of the way in a sloppy, desperate kiss. Shiro was a piece of Heaven that he shouldn’t have been allowed to keep, but the galaxies came to halt every time they touched. Keith shuddered when they parted, feeling Shiro’s heat pressed against his back, the way his partner trembled with unspoken anticipation.

“I’m just getting started.”

When Keith gunned the engine, Shiro screamed.

There was something grittier about flying the hovercraft, something sharper, a more visceral challenge that dotted sweat across his back and sent his hands trembling with effort. The wind whipped against his face and rushed through his ears, louder with every mile Keith gained until it rose to a crescendo in his skull. The windshield could only block so much, and Keith was left squinting through a path he didn’t entirely see. There were no redos, no emergency brakes. Power thrummed from within the machine and ricocheted through him, demanding release or threatening to tear him apart. The simulator could only manage its hollow shadow, and Keith still wasn’t satisfied. He pushed the engine to its limits, past long barren wastes and through the desert’s maze of rocky mountains, dragging the hovercraft up jagged walls and racing down impossible hills. It was an extension of him, as responsive and as agile as throwing a punch. Keith needed to feel how far it could go.

They climbed higher and higher. One by one the mountains fell away, leaving room for the moon to reign supreme. It filled Keith’s vision like it conquered the night sky, bright enough to chase away the darkness and large enough to swallow them whole. Behind him, Shiro had gone still, frozen in place, but he didn’t try to make Keith stop, and Keith wasn’t sure he would listen. The sky was so close, a little more, a little fast and he could-

“Keith!”

The ground fell out from under them as they flew over the edge of a cliff, the hovercrafts sensors reading nothing but air. They lingered there in a moment of perfect equilibrium. Then came rushing down to meet the ground.

Keith could feel a scream building in his throat, too shocked to do anything but let it claw its way through his lungs, but his hands still moved, desperately trying to regain traction. Then all at once there was a strong jolt around his middle, and Keith was thrown backwards, into Shiro’s chest. They tumbled onto a ledge on the side of the cliff, Keith cradled close and unscathed as Shiro took the brunt of the impact.

Beneath them the hovercraft crashed with a shriek of metal.

Keith’s heartbeat roared in his ears as he shakily counted each unbroken bone to make sure he was in one piece. “A-are you okay?” His own voice sounded distant and hoarse as shaking hands searched Shiro for injury. The angel was shaking too, but it took Keith too long to realize it was laughter.

“That was amazing!” Shiro flopped back on the stone ground, none the worse for wear.

“Amazing?! We could have died! We almost, you almost…oh god, what are we going to do? It’s broken and I-I…” Keith couldn’t string the words together, panic and adrenaline clouding his thoughts. They’d been too close to disaster. Even if Shiro couldn’t die,  _ he _  could have. They’d pushed too hard and too fast, no one had held them back and their recklessness had almost cost them everything. The smoking wreck of the hovercraft burned brightly below them, casting deep shadows across Shiro’s face as Keith cradled it in his hands. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to, I’m so sorry.”

Shiro kissed him silent, stoking the flames of adrenaline inside Keith’s veins. “You don’t have to apologize. You don’t have to do anything anymore, Keith. You still don’t understand, do you? There’s nothing on earth that can touch you anymore, you don’t have limits. You can do  _ anything _  you want to.”

“I can’t!” Keith was breathless, need warring with fear and guilt. They left him paralyzed, lost in indecision and terrified more of himself than anything. Shiro had always been the voice of reason to keep him from rash decisions, but the angel smiled wickedly and kissed him again until the protest died on Keith’s lips.

“Why are you fighting it?” He purred, dragged his lips down Keith’s neck. “They don’t matter, the only thing that matters is you. Just give in to what you want and take it.” Shiro settled Keith on his hips, rucking Keith’s shirt up as he traced possessive hands across warm skin. He swallowed each protest, distracting each hesitation, exploiting each and every weakness until Keith surrendered to his hands. “Tell me what you want and you can have it.”

“You.” Keith broke with a ragged whimper. “I want you.”

“Always.” Shiro hissed, voice thick with emotion, and Keith gasped, caught off guard, but Shiro wouldn’t stop until he took him apart. “Always been yours. Always will be. They tried and they won’t they can’t. There’s nothing they can do. Nothing can take me away from you.”

Keith shuddered, humbled by the heat of his stare. He reached for him, everything he wished he could say caught in his throat, but Shiro swallowed them down in another kiss. There was an intensity behind it that Keith wasn’t ready for, an intensity that left him shaking like Shiro had done so much more than kiss him. The weight of him, the ragged sound of his breathing, it was more than Keith had ever felt, more than anything he’d ever asked from anyone else, and he still wanted more so much more. “Shiro please-”

Then he was falling, sinking into soft downy and smooth silk. It didn’t feel like they moved, almost as if the world had moved around them. Instead of hard stone poking into Keith’s back was soft cool linen. The dry desert air was replaced with a warm, humid breeze that carried the salt of the ocean. Keith blinked in surprise, raising himself on his elbows to look around at the unfamiliar room, French doors thrown wide open and the gentle rolling waves of the ocean lapping almost at the edge of the bungalow just beyond them Stars stretched out over the water, glittering across the darkness above and reflecting below.

The smell of gasoline and smoke was still trapped in his head, but Keith spread his legs, unintentionally wanton but already too lost to care. Shiro moved against him, and Keith could feel his cock straining at the front of his pants, thick and heavy, dragging against the cut of his hips and all he could do was moan. He arched off the bed, instinct urging him closer, and Shiro caught him, sliding his hands beneath his waist and down to his ass. He pinned Keith in place as they moved in a filthy grind until all Keith could think about was the heat growing in his belly and spreading down his crotch. A hard jolt of painpleasure surged across his nerves and Keith gasped as his head was yanked back, Shiro’s long fingers tangled in his hair as he leaned down to lave his tongue across his pulse. His teeth grazed smooth skin, teasing at first, then demanding, devouring and Keith screamed.

“Shiro slow down-”

Sandpaper rough and breathless, Keith didn’t recognize his own voice, and Shiro jolted, immediately freezing in place. Keith wouldn’t let him get away. He wrapped his arms around Shiro, sliding a hand beneath his shirt and rucking it up the length of his spine.  _ There _ . Keith wanted his mouth  _ there _ .

“Slow down,” he repeated, cheek brushing against Shiro’s as he coaxed him closer, like he was baiting a skittish deer, soft and sweet, letting Shiro give in. He sighed into his angel’s mouth, whispering his name into his lips. “I want this to last.”

When Shiro exhaled, his entire body shivered with relief, and Keith could only smile.

Keith’s eyes were adjusting to the dim, taking in their room for the first time. Luxurious and spacious, a hotel room Keith couldn’t even afford to breath in. He was surrounded by sheets so smooth they felt wrong against his skin and pillows he could sink through. Shiro watched him with half-lidded eyes. His hair was in disarray. His mouth was slick and pink, and Keith didn’t expect that to make him feel so satisfied.  

“I wanted to take you somewhere nice.” The angel said, sounding nervous for the first time that day and Keith cackled.

The grinning speed demon was gone and Shiro seemed so unsure, something warring behind his eyes that Keith couldn’t understand. He traced his fingers down Keith’s jawline, in awe. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“What for?” Keith was laughing and Shiro couldn’t help but join in.

“Please let me take care of you? I want…I’d like to…” The angel flustered and Keith nodded his permission. Shiro looked so concerned that Keith drew him down, stealing a kiss and letting the angel’s weight press him down into the soft mattress. He bucked his hips with a flare of pride as he managed to earn a sinful groan from Shiro’s lips. Was it blasphemy to want to debauch an angel?

“You’re beautiful.” Shiro whispered prayers into Keith’s skin, thanking his Creator that he had come to this moment. He gently helped Keith pull his shirt up over his head and leaned in close, letting warm breath play over Keith’s skin, chasing the goosebumps with kisses.

“Shiro.” Keith asked quietly, but the angel smiled.

“Let me love you?” He always asked and only moved with Keith murmured his permission, letting himself relax down into the bed. Keith was at his mercy, but Shiro felt like he was the one who surrendered. He dragged wet, open-mouthed kisses down Keith’s ribs, catching one nipple and closing his lips around it. Shiro took his time, teasing his tongue against the pert nub that tightened beneath his attention, sucking until pleasure caught in Keith’s nerves.

Every touch was done in worship, taking Keith apart inch after inch. By the time he worked lower, Keith was trembling, lost in overwhelming sensation. Shiro ran his tongue along the cut of Keith’s hips before deftly unfastening the zipper and peeling his pants down.

“You don’t know how long I’ve been thinking about this.”

Keith groaned, shameless in his hunger. Shiro’s voice was thick and rich like honey, pouring across his skin until Keith felt it like a physical weight. His hand curled around Keith’s cock, fondling his balls as he bent lower and tasted the inside of his thighs. And bit down just to remind Keith that he could. It was a gentle, devastating assault, and Keith spread his legs wider, filthy in his impatience, and Shiro’s breath fanned over too hot skin. Keith couldn’t look down. If he saw what Shiro was doing to him, he wouldn’t last another second.

“Tell me this is okay. Tell me what you want, Keith.” He pleaded, like it was all he could ask for. He stroked Keith down, every touching making it harder and harder to breathe. Keith snarled, sliding a leg over Shiro’s shoulder, heel digging into his back like he’d spur on a stallion, and Keith wanted him so badly he ached. “I want to make you feel good.”

“Fuck, Shiro.”

Shiro let out a rumbling laugh, and hoisted Keith’s leg higher on his shoulder. He mapped the length of Keith’s thigh with his lips, kissing the underside of his knee, and stroking his cock all at once and Keith could’ve screamed.

“I like this,” Shiro confessed into smooth skin, his hands steady and strong where they mapped Keith out, touching him with an intimacy Keith had never shared. Shiro was everywhere at once, the slide of skin and skin maddening, and Keith’s belly clenched, tightening as he bore down on air and he snarled, yanking Shiro forward by the jaw. The angel tumbled forward, almost crushing him, broad shoulders and thick chest built like a brick house, his pretty eyes wide in shock and dark with sin, and Keith wanted more.

“Shiro. Fuck.  _ Me _ .”

“Oh.” Shiro inhaled sharply, licking his lips in a distracted, unconscious way. He huffed breathlessly, a dark blush suffused across his cheeks, like he didn’t have his hands on Keith’s shaft and was slowly taking him apart. “I was getting to that.”

God he sounded so  _ petulant, _  and Keith laughed, a shade too sharp, a tinge too eager and drew him into his arms. “Get to that faster. I’ve waited too long already.”

The angel was more than happy to oblige, but still so infuriatingly slow that it left Keith feeling like he was on a razor’s edge, caught between screaming for more and screaming for Shiro to never stop. Slick fingers teased against his entrance and slowly worked passed the tight ring of muscle as Keith fought to relax instead of clench greedily down on them. They stroked him open, gentle but demanding and his body couldn’t help but obey.

Shiro’s eyes were dark as they watched him and Keith could swear he saw his own reflection in their depth, but it was too hard to focus on anything but the feeling that pulled him apart and put him back together again. His eyes fluttered close as Shiro positioned himself between Keith’s knees, pressing the blunt edge of his cock against him.

“Come  _ on _ !” Keith hissed impatiently, but every other whispered curse died in a startled gasp as Shiro slowly thrust into him.

Like everything else, it was too slow and perfect all at once. Shiro was thick, filling him until Keith cried out and arched back against the bed. Inch by inch until Shiro pulled back and Keith whined at the loss. The angel chuckled and swallowed Keith’s protest with a kiss, teasing and torturing until tears pricked at Keith’s eyes.

“More!” Keith demanded, rolling his hips to meet his partner and flushing with satisfaction as Shiro groaned. “God, Shiro. I need more, I feel-”

“Good?”

Keith wanted to bite that cocksure arrogance off Shiro’s tongue, but there was a tremor of something beneath it, something fragile and sharp, and Keith wanted the angel to say his name just like that.

“Good.” The word dragged off his tongue, syllable splitting in two as he slurred around it, and Shiro moved into him, hips rolling in a way that made Keith gasp out loud. He felt heavy where they connected, trapped under strength he didn’t want to fight, and stretched to his limit and Shiro did it again and again and again and Keith was babbling his name, nails dragging across his back, bunching in his shirt and he was still so damn slow.

“You think you’ve waited Keith, you have no idea.” Shiro hissed in one long breath, pulling him in by the hips until the curve of Keith’s ass settled over his thighs, spread obscenely as Keith wrapped his legs around Shiro’s waist, scrambling for more more always more. “How long I’ve waited and wanted and watched. How long I’ve thought of you just like this. Seeing you like this. Writhing for me.”

Shiro pushed forward, and Keith groaned, bent almost in half and forced to take it as Shiro drew out each thrust, the long length of his shaft dragging through his body before sliding all the way back in and Keith couldn’t think. He cursed and swore, panting like a dog, but he spoke Shiro’s name like it was holy.

“Shiro please dammit please I’m gonna-”

“You feel so good Keith, so wet and hot for me. Holding me so tight. I wanted this. I wanted you. It was always you.”

Keith shuddered, pleasure so thick it left his face twisting like he was in agony, and suddenly his hands were being pulled off of Shiro and pinned above his head. He bucked and twisted, not to get away but to feel how Shiro held him down. The angel on needed one hand to press him into the sheets like it was too easy for him, like he was nothing, and when he bore down on him, Shiro felt so much bigger. He looked up, eyes glassy with want, but Shiro didn’t notice. The angel was trembling, so minutely Keith didn’t think he even noticed, dark eyes taking him in like a drowning man devoured a feast, and it felt so damn good.

“Shiro!”

At the end, he gasped the name, quiet and breathless as he spent himself in thick spurts across his own belly. It hit him like crash, body tensing with every muscle pulled tight as the world narrowed down to the knife’s edge of pleasure and pain that stole every word and thought into the rush of release. His breathing hitched, rocked again and again until he was left spent and exhausted in his own bliss.

Shiro kept him pinned, riding him hard as Keith let the angel take his pleasure with soft moans punctuating every thrust. When Shiro game with a low growl, he pulled out, spilling across the mess on Keith’s stomach, his hand squeezed tight around his own cock. With a soft breath, he dropped his head to Keith’s shoulder, breathing as hard as any human. He seemed mortal in that moment, vulnerable with his eyes squeezed shut and his hair damp with sweat. Maybe he’d learned to be more human than Keith had realized.

Keith reached up to lazily stroke his hand through Shiro’s bangs as the angel blinked open his eyes like he was seeing Keith for the first time. He smiled, tentative and unsure, as he settled in next to Keith and helped his friend clean up. “Are you okay?”

“Mmmm.” Keith didn’t want to talk, he just wiped himself off and threw the towel to the other side of the room. Everything felt like a dream, too good to be real and he wasn’t going to ruin it with speaking, but he pressed a closed-mouth kiss to his lover’s cheek, every inch of him radiating contentment. He let Shiro pull him into his arms and fell asleep, cradled against the angel’s chest.

“I’ll keep you safe.” He never heard Shiro whisper. “I promise.”

 

* * *

 

The waves lapped at the sandy beach, steady and quiet as Shiro stared out over the dark ocean. Morning was still hours away, but he should return them to the Garrison before anyone missed them. And yet, Keith slept soundly in the bungalow behind him, wrapped in thin blankets while Shiro wrestled with his own doubts, ignoring their stolen tropical paradise.

Thoughts whispered in, familiar and soothing. It was easy to give in to them, but something inside of him resisted the promises. Shiro glanced back at the bungalow, its doors wide open and Keith sprawled peacefully asleep.

He really was beautiful.

Shiro had wanted… no, he wasn’t supposed to want. Orders were clear and they were so close, and yet- The angel pressed the heels of his hands against his head, trying to make sense of the jumbled mess inside.  _ This isn’t me! _

_ YOU FALTER. _

The voice came from inside him and around him all at once, a deadly hiss that echoed like a deafening roar, and Shiro was pulled forward with a strangled gasp. He fell to his knees, a scream caught in his throat, but it was another’s hand that forced it back down. A darkness swirled over him, swallowing the night sky, and even as sand and sea washed over his hands, Shiro couldn’t feel them. His wings burst from his back, the transformation ripped from his skin with brutal efficiency, leaving him shaking in agony.

“N-no, never.” He stuttered, brought low in the face on an old enemy with familiar rage. They hadn’t needed to subdue him in so long. He was the Master’s loyal servant, he would never stray! Please, please he would never stray.

“He is ours. The master grows weary of your games. It would serve you well to remember that any pet can be replaced.”

Shiro cowered, his head pressed against his knees in subjugation. He had no hope of stopping the onslaught. All that was left was survival, and in the end, if it came down to choosing between Keith or his own, there would be no contest.

A minute passed or an hour, but when Shiro dragged himself into the bungalow, Keith still slept without a care, unaware of the war that brewed over his head. The boy he’d sworn to protect. His best friend in the whole world. Shiro gathered him in his arms, and the human whined, instinctively seeking his warmth, arms wrapping tight around his middle. A monstrous claw combed through his hair, gentle like only Keith could make him, and jet black wings wrapped around them both like they were young again and Shiro could shield them from the world.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro whispered, voice breaking around a sob. “I’m so sorry.”


	4. Chapter 4

Keith slid out of his bunk and stretched, heading towards the bathroom as his roommate ignored him like always, already on his second round of morning chin-ups. A work out would help clear his head and help wake him up for classes, but Keith was looking forward to the comforts of a shower and breakfast instead of his usual three mile run. He was getting enough exercise as it was.

His bunk was empty, sheets tucked in with military precision and Shiro gone before the sun rose, but Keith could still remember the feeling of falling asleep in the angel’s arms. It seemed like it had become a new habit, the nights they’d spent training or testing the reach of his new magic now always seemed to end in a rush of frantic need that left him feeling tired but satisfied each morning. Shiro was always gentle, even when Keith demanded more, and he smiled to himself as he stepped into the shower and let the hot water ease away his sore muscles. Gentle, but damned enthusiastic.

There must be a special place in Hell for seducing an angel, but Keith couldn’t care.

He turned his face up to the water with his eyes closed, running his hands through his hair. It had been so easy to move from friends to lovers. Shiro was so good at taking the lead and making sure that Keith was comfortable every step of the way, but these last few nights had added a new dimension to his best friend, a vulnerability that Keith hadn’t seen before, like they really were stealing away each moment together.

Keith yawned and stretched again until his back cracked, scrubbing himself clean. He paused, rubbing the washcloth over the mark on the back of his hand. It was barely visible against his skin. He frowned as he traced its edges, but he didn’t have much time to ponder its meaning before someone burst into the shower room, yelling to all the other cadets slogging through their morning rituals.

“Sam’s getting expelled!”

Samuel Quinn, known for his horrendous overbite and the way he followed Carl around like a trained mutt. Righteous vindication tasted so sweet, and Keith smiled. It wasn’t a nice one. Overbite had been accused of stealing a hovercraft, and the evidence mounted against him was damning. The longer the investigation went on, the clearer the outcome became, no matter how many times Sam cried foul. When the charred remains of the hovercraft were brought back, he stopped fighting completely.

What they did may have been against the rules, but it was exactly what Overbite deserved, Keith thought fiercely. Besides, if an angel said he deserved retribution, who was Keith to disagree?

They said he was being dragged out of the Garrison, said he was kicking and screaming. The bathrooms were being cleared out at incredible speed, far too many cadets tripping over themselves in their haste to get a look. They didn’t care that appearing any less than perfect was an embarrassment to the Garrison name. Keith ran with them, without a sliver of regret. This was going to be the last time he ever saw Overbite, and he couldn’t wait.

The rumors had been slightly off mark.

When they arrived, it wasn’t Overbite yelling. It was Carl. Keith heard him past the classrooms, through the large hall that lead straight through the visitor’s entrance, talking a mile a minute, begging for one more chance to explain, really Sam was with me the whole time. His friend trailed behind his parents, gaze hollow and shoulders slumped, a big man brought low, without any pride left for defiance. His friend was already out the door, but Carl wouldn’t give up, not until one of the school administrators stopped him in his tracks with a sharp tone that carried down the corridors. It didn’t matter that the rest of them were scolded for watching. Keith felt like he’d won.

The crowd disappeared slowly, but they left cruel whispers in their stead. Carl heard everything, cheeks splotchy with anger, and he struggled with the all too familiar urge to lash out. Perhaps there was a time that Keith would have offered him empathy. Keith knew better than most what it felt like to fight yourself, to tame fury that could swallow him whole. Instead Keith dangled a target in front of his face and enjoyed it.

“He deserved it.” He sneered, and without fear, just slick satisfaction that spread down his spine when Carl turned to him. Keith hadn’t been afraid of anything for a while now. “Though they should’ve known a dipshit like that could never have flown as far as Devil’s Gulch.”

“Shut the fuck up, how did you-” Anger burned behind Carl’s eyes, but they widened with sickening realization. It was a look Keith couldn’t help but relish.

“Maybe he should have followed the rules?

“You did this!” There was venom in Carl’s voice, cold and hateful. “You set him up. He was my best friend, he was the only one here who fucking mattered!” With a howl, Carl launched himself at Keith. They two grappled and even if Carl hadn’t been the top of their class in the pilot’s seat, he’d at least been paying attention during combat training. Keith was fast, but he’d grown cocky, over-confident in the worst sort of way. A blow to the jaw sent him spinning and Carl was on him in an instant, beating down with all the strength in his fists.

“Stop!” He tried between clenched teeth, trying to block the tireless assault, but every punch sent another wave of pain through his nerves.

“STOP!”

Keith couldn’t say that it was an accident or that he hadn’t meant it. He had, he’d wanted Carl to back off and a little added suffering and humiliation would only sweeten the deal, but the burst of magic from his fingertips still surprised him. In a moment, Carl was consumed with flames, screaming in agony as he thrashed on the ground trying to put out the fire. It hadn’t been an accident, he’d used his abilities to make Carl stop…but he hadn’t realized how far it could go.

The other boy lay on the ground, keening in pain. Black and blistered skin peeled back, his eyes rolling in indescribable agony. His entire body had been swallowed and there was barely an inch of him that hadn’t been scorched. Carl would wear the scars for the rest of his life, if he managed to survive. Keith pulled back, the smell of burned flesh and smoking making him sick.

There were footsteps coming down the hall. Then screams.

“Oh god, someone call an ambulance!” Another cadet skidded to a stop, eyes locked on Carl and not even noticing Keith melting into the shadows behind him. “Quick, oh my god. You’re going to be okay, just stay with me. Hold on!”

The last thing Keith heard was her pleading with Carl before he turned to escape.

He raced through the Garrison, stumbling as he miscalculated where the ground would be and fell to his knees. What had he done? He’d wanted to hurt Carl, but he could have killed him and worst of all, a part of him whispered that it wouldn’t be a great loss.

The smell of charred flesh still made his eyes water.

“Hey… Kogane? You okay?”

Someone was talking to him. Keith didn’t even try to focus, wasn’t even sure he could if he wanted to. Someone was whispering behind him, every syllable as sharp as a threat, and Keith was running again. He couldn’t control himself. Drifting in and out of thin air. He didn’t notice where he went, or how easily magic slipped between his fingers, until strong arms caught him in mid-step. Keith didn’t have to run anymore.

“Keith?” Shiro was careful with him, always so careful. It was more than Keith thought he deserved, but too much for him to let go. Relief came with a sob, and he buried his face in Shiro’s chest, shoulders trembling as he struggled to catch his breath. Shiro was supposed to make it better. Shiro was so good at making it better. “It’s okay. You’re okay. You did the right thing.”

Keith wasn’t expecting that. A rush of nausea washed over him, threatening to drag him under, and it felt like Keith was in a free fall but his feet never left the ground. He looked up at Shiro, eyes too wide and cheeks splotchy with fear. 

The desert sun beat down on them and across unfamiliar mountains. He’d left the Garrison or Shiro had taken him away, but that didn’t matter now.

“What?”

“I saw them take him away. You don’t have to worry, no one knows it was you, and Carl’s not talking. Even if he could, they wouldn’t believe him.” Shiro smiled, a benign careless thing. Keith’s knees buckled. “He got exactly what he deserved, and didn’t it feel good… to finally let go?”

That wasn’t right. Something twisted in Keith’s chest, just beneath his diaphragm, and it made breathing all the more painful. Carl was cruel and mean, but Keith had watched the skin peel off his face, his muscles slacken and lose shape. Keith didn’t know if he would survive to make it to the hospital. He’d deserved retaliation. He didn’t deserve that.

Then Shiro reached down, taking him by the hand. He traced his thumb across unmarred skin. The scar he’d given him was completely gone.

“You’re free from my mistake. You don’t have to worry about worthless humans anymore.”

Keith snatched his hand back, eyes fixed on Shiro in horror. “What the hell are you talking about? I might have killed him, and you’re telling me that’s a good thing? What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m telling you that they don’t matter. You’re the only thing that matters, Keith, you just weren’t ready to accept that.” Shiro’s grin was sharp and predatory, and if Keith didn’t know better, he would have sworn it carried the hint of fangs. Before he could protest, Shiro had grabbed him and shoved him into a wall, driving the air from his lungs with a bruising kiss. Keith struggled, trying to push the angel away, but Shiro kept him pinned easily.

“Let go!” Keith gasped, writhing in Shiro’s grip. “You’re hurting me!”

“So make me stop.” Shiro purred, dragging his mouth down Keith’s neck and biting down almost hard enough to break the skin. “You know how long I’ve waited for you to be free? You have no more chains on you, nothing holding you back. The mark I put on you is gone and your powers are finally free. You can do anything, be anything you want!”

“I want you to STOP!” Keith yelled, sending Shiro stumbling back with an undirected blast of power. He was breathing hard, eyes dark and frightened as he watched the angel pick himself up with a laugh. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because of what you are. You didn’t really think you were just some nothing human who secretly had divine powers. You’re special, you’re more than any of them. That’s why I’ve been teaching you, it’s finally time for you to go home.”

The angel shifted, slipped his skin like it was a mask and laid bare everything that was underneath. There was a glow to his skin, power barely contained beneath it, but it was marred by deep scars that peeked out from Shiro’s collar and from his sleeves. His arm twisted, long and clawed, with feathers covering every inch of skin up passed his elbow. Horns curved gracefully back from his forehead, but Keith couldn’t look away from the wings. Jet black and enormous, they burst from Shiro’s back and stretched up high enough to momentarily shade them from the sun. Light edged around them, each feather catching slick colors of blues, greens, and deep purples hidden in the black.

Shiro was beautiful, and he was terrifying.

“You’re not taking me anywhere,” Keith heard himself say, but the words felt clumsy and stilted. Betrayal left him gutted, and Keith was scrambling to keep his head from spinning. Shiro smirked. Keith no longer recognized him.

There was no warning when Shiro lunged. Nothing but his reflexes and too much luck kept Keith from being bowled over, avoiding Shiro’s mangled fist by centimeters. A blast of magic still caught him off-guard, hitting him on his blind side and Keith was spent sprawling through the dirt. Keith lashed out blindly, a scream building in the back of his throat and power burning through his skin, but Shiro side-stepped it easily. He circled Keith like a wolf on the hunt, watching with wild eyes as he slowly picked himself off the ground. It felt like his voice was coming from everywhere, the ground trembling with every step he took, fissures splitting through the dusty ground.

“Don’t fight, Keith. You are going to be a hero to your people. Your destiny has always been the brightest, and the Master will shape you for that destiny. Think about all that power, you’ll be almost a god. Anything you want you can take, anywhere you want to go, you can. You’ll have no limits, all you need to do is give me your soul, and it’s yours.” 

“My soul?”

Shiro smiled, just as gentle and kind as Keith had always known him to be. “The stars will be yours. You’ll be able to visit them all.” He paused, voice quieter, head bowed as if in submission. “You can keep me. I’ll be yours forever.”

“You’re not Shiro!” Pain sharpening his focus, rage fed into strength, and something on the creature’s face shifted, rippled like the changing tide.

“I’m all that’s left.”

Keith screamed, rushing straight at him. Shiro didn’t expect him to disappear, rippling through air and reappearing behind him. Keith dragged him into a chokehold, wrestling him to the ground, black feathers like cotton against his skin. Shiro threw him off, and Keith faded into the dirt, reforming like smog above him. He slammed his fists into the back of Shiro’s shoulders, beating him until the creature threw him off with a snarl. Keith turned into a roll, moving with the force of impact, his nails digging grooves through stone, and a force built in his chest, burning where his heart ought to be. It hurt too much, fear entwined with sorrow, and he couldn’t mourn the loss of his best friend. Not while a monster wore his face.

Keith was going to end this here. One way or another.

With all his might, Keith shattered the ground beneath them, leaving the mountain rumbling with force. As Shiro stumbled, he attacked, hands out-stretched and glowing with unyielding power. He didn’t expect Shiro to freeze, didn’t expect Shiro to take the blow, his arms limp by his side, face ashen with fear. Keith cut through flesh and shattered bone, the angel’s crumbling against him. Shiro reached out for him, his voice a strangled croak, but when he touched Keith, his hands were gentle. Keith felt him shudder when he breathed.

“Run.” Shiro’s eyes were distant, glassy with pain, but he was smiling. “Don’t let them catch you.”

“Shiro?” Keith hesitated but the angel couldn’t let him stop. Not now, when he was so close to ending it. Shiro could feel the whispers growing louder, threatening to pull him back under again and even if he fought it, he was going to lose. He always lost. That was a lesson it had taken Shiro a long time to learn.

_ I won’t hurt him _ . Shiro promised himself for the thousandth time, even though he knew he couldn’t keep it. There was only one way to keep Keith safe.

“End me and run.” Shiro whispered, barely audible. “Or they’ll never stop.”

“Shiro? Shiro!” Keith was calling his name, but the angel let his eyes slip closed. The last thing he saw was a flash of light and the feeling like his body was being consumed in fire, searing agony that ignited from his chest and flared along his bones. Shiro screamed as it consumed him, and then there was nothing.

 

* * *

 

“They’re going to come for me.”

Shiro drew his knees up higher to his chest, white wings wrapped around himself like a shield against the world. Mostly white. There was already a faint edge of gray along the spines of a few feathers, a growing corruption. Yet another reason that he had to get out of here. It was only a matter of time though, rescue was on its way. His family was going to come to find him and take him home again. All he had to do was hold out until then.

He’d been here for what felt like years. Centuries? Time was a concept for mortal creatures, it meant nothing locked away in this place. It was unending and eternal, like everything touched by the Creator, but Shiro couldn’t see the delicate, beautiful hand at work here. This place was nothing but pain and agony, the reality of it tore into his body like knives, trying to work themselves deeper under the skin. Shiro didn’t know how the demons could stand it, they seemed like it didn’t affect them at all. Maybe they had been steeped in corruption for so long, that they’d become a part of it.

All he had to do was survive. The angels would rescue him, they never left anyone behind.

But his head throbbed, the constant pressure spurring pain that burned behind his eyes and blurred his vision. It grew every minute, every second, like his skull was trying to pull itself apart, and Shiro was terrified. He didn’t know how much more he could take before he lost his sight completely.

Maybe this was his punishment. There hadn’t been much of the Joneses that was still human. Demons had a way of destroying everything when they were allowed to spread their influence, but in the end, they had been mortal. He’d begged and pleaded, did everything in his power to try and bring them back, but in the end, Shiro had done what he’d needed to in order to make sure they never returned. Their blood stained his hands, and no matter how much time passed, he’d never be able to wash it away. It had been for the mission. Their souls had been claimed. He’d made a hard decision, one that haunted him still, but maybe that hadn’t been good enough.

A sharp jolt sent him stumbling forward and falling over himself. His neck throbbed, shoulders tense and heavy beneath the thick metal that collared him. The skin beneath it festered and burned, and no matter how much time passed, it was still hot to the touch.

Shiro shied away with a strangled whimper, trying his best to swallow the sound down, but he couldn’t get away. A mangled claw curled around his head, sharp nails scratching across his scalp, and Shiro froze. He’d already learned how cruel they could be. He was lifted off the ground, shackles tightening like a noose until he was kicking and writhing, fighting for air that burned as it filled his lungs. His head was jerked up, and his entire body shuddered as he was forced to look into the empty gaze of the Master.

“They’ll come for me.” He repeated, but his voice was small and scared, always so scared. He couldn’t give up hope, just one more day, all he had to do was hold out for one more day, but a strong hand curled around his calf, stroking up the line of his side, and Shiro sobbed. It moved, but relief was short-lived. Higher and higher, the claw curled into the delicate feathers of his wing.

“No one’s coming for you, little one.” The demon purred, stroking a hand through Shiro’s feathers. He smiled with a mouth full of fangs and Shiro recoiled as the beast laughed. Zarkon. All angels knew that name and Shiro tried to keep himself from trembling, a small and inexperienced angel against the leader of the demon army. Even if he didn’t have a chance, Shiro was not going to give up without a fight.

“Angels never leave each other behind.” He said, pulling his wings in tight around himself, defiant to the last. “We protect each other, it’s something you’d never understand.”

“You think I don’t understand angels?” Zarkon laughed again and Shiro shivered at the sound. When the demon grabbed for him, Shiro was a moment too slow and Zarkon plucked a feather from his wing. In his hands, the gray faded to black, consumed by corruption and darkness. “I know that you’re not one of the angelic host any longer, little one. You’ve fallen, it’s only a matter of time before the change takes hold completely. No angel will ever come looking for you.”

“That’s not true!” Even as he denied it, Shiro could feel that Zarkon wasn’t wrong. Something foreign crawled inside of him, a poison that would eat him from the inside out. He’d tried so hard to ignore the way his feathers faded, telling himself that it was just this place and not him. With a groan of pain, Shiro doubled over, hands pressed against his skull as his head felt like it was going to crack open.

“You belong to me now.” Zarkon pulled the unresisting angel closer as Shiro thrashed in pain. “I know you’ve hidden the boy and you’re going to tell me exactly where he is.”

“I-I’m not going to let you hurt him!”

“Maybe not yet.” Zarkon’s voice resonated through the room, but something changed. A new force gave it strength, sharpened it like an assassin’s knife, and it cut deep until it echoed in Shiro’s aching skull. Shiro moaned, begging for him to stop. Pride had little place here, not under such overwhelming odds, but the demon kept him steady and pushed. Something tore. His claws dug into Shiro’s flank, digging through warm flesh. “But you will.”

Zarkon’s claws worked deeper, deeper, peeling him open and tearing him apart and when the chain around his throat tightened, Shiro couldn’t even scream. He thrashed and writhed, anything to escape the pain, but Zarkon held him still like he was nothing at all. Shiro was crying again, and he hated himself for it, and the demon pulled him closer, pressing a fanged kiss against his feverish brow. He heard him then, a sinister whisper in the back of his mind, more intimate than the beat of his own pulse.

“It’s only a matter of time.”

Shiro didn’t know it, but he’d already lost.

 

* * *

 

When Shiro woke up, he was in a cave. A faint light filtered through the darkness, bright compared to some of the places he’d seen. The air was dry, but this far underground it was cooler, almost a welcome relief after everything he’d been through. But most of all, it was silent. Nothing hurt anymore. Shiro was sure he was dead.

That couldn’t be right. There was no afterlife for his kind, but the reprieve was unnerving, no matter how greedily he welcomed it.

He raised his hand gingerly, touched the center of his chest. His clothes were still in tatters, singed where he’d been burned, and the skin beneath it was scarred, but whole. Then there were footsteps, and a familiar figure came into sight. A rush of affection colored Shiro’s thoughts, hope so strong it left him aching with want, until he realized what this meant.

No.

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

His tongue stuck to the back of his mouth, words slurred and uneven. Keith stood over him, his hands balled into fists and glowing with a supernatural light. He commanded his abilities so easily, Shiro noted. He was always such a quick study. But Keith shouldn’t have been here. Keith should have been a thousand miles away, as far as he could carry himself. They were already running out of time.

The human scowled, but stood his ground. Stubborn, Shiro chided. Even in his mind, he sounded proud.

Keith was quiet for a long time, fighting against all the words he wanted to say, and Shiro’s heart went out to him. If Shiro had just been stronger, he would still be safe. “I want answers.”

“What you need to do is run.”

Keith’s expression darkened, the energy flaring brighter around his fists. “No more games, Shiro. Or…whatever you are. I want the truth now. Who are you?”

That was a difficult question to answer. Shiro held out his hands, one almost human and perfect, the other monstrous and dangerous. The demons had called it a gift, but he would have preferred the one they’d taken from him. It was just another way to remind him that he belonged to them. As if Shiro could ever forget. “I’m not so sure anymore.”

“I said no more games!” Keith hissed. “Why should I run? Who’s after me? What have you done to me?”

Shiro held up his hand to stop the flood of questions. “One at a time. You’re always so impatient.”

“Yeah, well the ‘patience yields focus’ bullshit didn’t exactly stick.”

“But you remember.” Shiro gave the other man a wane smile. “It was good advice, maybe the best I’ve ever given you.

“So you were my friend, or is everything that happened between us a lie?” There was rage and betrayal in the way Keith’s voice shook, but pain too. Shiro never regretted anything more. He wished he could reach out and sooth the ache away, murmur apologies and just hold on to something real until they both could forget about anything else. Instead, he fluttered his dark wings, testing for wounds and stalling, but there was only so long he could go before the truth won out.

“You’re a demon, or part of one anyways. It’s so rare that it’s almost unheard of, but when it happens, mixing human and divine, the children are powerful, but mostly they’re insane… You’re different. You’re special.” Shiro had to  catch himself, closing his eyes and swallowing thickly. The stone was hard beneath his back, but he still felt like he was falling. “Your people wanted you to join them and they sent me to take your soul and bring you back.”

Keith lowered his hands, expression inscrutable. Everything he knew about himself seemed to suddenly tilt sideways, bringing more questions than answers. Was this the reason he was always alone? Why he never fit in? Why he burned with a power he didn’t understand, all unlocked by the person who’d claimed to be his best friend. “That- that didn’t answer my question about you.” He said hoarsely and Shiro winced.

“No, it didn’t.”

Keith waited, almost like he was intent on proving that he could be patient, and under different circumstances, Shiro would have laughed, but they were running out of time. It was quiet in his head now, but he knew it wouldn’t last for long. There had never been any hope for him, but Keith deserved so much more. He licked his lips, struggling to find his voice, and Shiro was shocked by the rush of emotion that clogged his throat. He closed his eyes, willing back tears that he’d already shed far too many times.

“You were my best friend. You were the only friend I ever had.”  _ You still are, Keith. You always will be _ . “I wanted to protect you, and I failed, and they took me. You can’t trust me Keith. I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’ll be.” Shiro had to stop, looking away. He would not cry now. Keith had to go. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to think clearly. They’re after you, and they’ll be here soon. You can’t go with them. They’ll promise you everything, but they’ll take your soul and make you one of them, and you can’t let them hurt you.”

“Who, Shiro? You’re not making any sense.”

“Master.” Shiro exhaled deeply. He’d broken out in a cold sweat, fear leaving a bitter taste in the back of his mouth. A new thread of panic curled in the center of his chest, spilling adrenaline through his veins. Shiro tried to push himself up, but his arms buckled under his weight, and he swallowed down a sob. No! He wouldn’t break now. Not yet. “You need to leave, Keith. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” Keith rasped. He was swaying on his feet, shock written in the pallor of his face. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Right now, it’s the only thing I can offer you.” It wasn’t enough, it never would be, but words couldn’t fix his failure. The only thing he’d ever wanted was to keep Keith safe, and there was still one way he could try. This time, he wouldn’t let himself be taken alive. “I’ll hold them off for as long as I can, but you need to stay hidden. No more of your powers, now that they’re unlocked, they’ll be able to track you.”

“Is that what this was?” Keith held out his hand, the skin smooth and unbroken where the mark used to be. “You locked my powers away so they wouldn’t find me.”

“Yes.” It had seemed like the only answer then, when he’d been so young and naïve. Shiro had paid for that mistake. “It kept you safe for a while, but since I was the one who marked you, I was the only one who could find you. That’s why they sent me.”

Something changed in Keith, a subtle shift in the way he held himself. There was still so much anger, pain, and distrust, but it was like Shiro had given some answer that satisfied him. “When we were kids, you really were my friend then. You were telling the truth.”

“I-” How to answer without making this worse? Better that Keith should hate him and run, at least the demons wouldn’t be able to use him against Keith ever again. Was it worse to lie to help him or would it just hurt him again? “The Joneses, do you remember them? That’s what they called themselves and maybe they’d been human once, but the demons rode inside their skin like they were puppets. When I saw them, I knew that our time was running out. I did the only thing I could to keep them from finding you and… I always planned on coming back.”

“How can I trust you now?”

“You can’t.” Shiro said matter-of-factly, his smile the same crooked rueful grin that always made Keith’s heart leap. “I don’t know what you did to me or if it’ll last, you’re more powerful than even I thought. I’ll make sure I can’t hurt you again.” Fragile promises, but Shiro did his best to convince them both they were real. He reached out to Keith, hands cupping around the piece of comet worn around his wrist before Shiro realized he’d crossed a line. Ugly taloned fingers next to warm human skin, they had no right to touch. Shiro pulled away with another mumbled apology, curling his hand away like he could hide it.

But Keith was the one to touch him first. Always such a reckless boy. Careful hands smoothed through Shiro’s feathers as the angel held himself still, not daring to move. Keith was tense, exploring, looking for the truth written in Shiro’s body but ready to flee or attack at any sudden movement. His hands were more gentle than they had a right to be and Shiro shuddered, starving for a touch that didn’t cause pain.

“Your wings used to be white.”

“Yes.”

Shiro hadn’t thought about them for a long time. Shiro wasn’t surprised by how much he missed them, just that it had taken him so long to remember. “I never did know how to follow the rules. Guardians aren’t supposed to talk to their humans.”

It was a tired joke, spoke with too much longing, and Shiro wasn’t prepared for the way Keith turned to him, cradling his face in gentle hands. Their foreheads touched, so close that they shared a breath, and it was the kindest goodbye Shiro could imagine.

“If I run, I’m taking you with me.”

“Keith no.” Shiro tensed. Mercy was an assault he wasn’t prepared for, but he couldn’t let Keith sign his own death warrant. He still closed his eyes, savoring the breath of space between them. This was going to be the last time he had Keith so close. It had to be, for both their sakes, but Shiro would burn this memory into his mind. He would never stop needing it.

Keith slowly wrapped his arms around him, with strength that went beyond human, cradling him close until Shiro trembled.

“I don’t know shit about angels or demons,” Keith hissed fiercely, and there were fingers in his hair, gentle and tender like Shiro never thought he deserved. “But I know that I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“Keith-”

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” The confession came in a rush, his grip tightening just enough for Shiro to feel it, like he thought the angel would try to escape. His hand hovered over Shiro’s abdomen, left vulnerable after their attack, but it prickled where Keith touched. “I don’t know what I did here, but I wanted to make the wound go away and- and it worked. I don’t know. I’m going in blind, but I fight a hell of a lot better when you’re by my side.”

“You can’t do that, it’s not safe.”

“Like you get to tell me that now.” Keith snapped. “I don’t think you get to say another word about what I should do or what I shouldn’t, so you’re going to just shut up and accept it. I’m not leaving you so they can hurt you again.”

That startled a laugh from Shiro, a little raw and a little rough, but for a moment he looked just like his old self and Keith’s heart broke. “That’s why they’re afraid of you, you know.”

“Because they pissed me off? They should be.”

Shiro relaxed into Keith, letting his wings trail over the dirt with barely a thought. He was something divine, more than human, created to be untouchable and perfect and yet he settled against the human in the dim, dusty cave like he belonged. Keith didn’t know if it was holy or blasphemous.

“Angels and demons are more powerful than humans, sure, but we’re created to serve. We’re built for obedience, assigned roles that we never break. We follow all the rules, we can’t do anything else. You humans are the ones with free will. You have the ability to decide and with your demon blood, you have more real power than any of them. Enough to tip the scales.”

Keith smoothed one twisted feather, running his fingers across its dark glossy surface. “And that’s what they did, made you a demon too?”

“No, I-. That’s.” The humor died in Shiro’s eyes as he struggled to smile again, almost apologetic and more than a little ashamed. “The arm was a gift, same with the scars. The rest I did to myself.”

“Shiro, I want to know what happened to you.”

“I broke the rules. I made a choice even when it wasn’t allowed. I followed you.” There wasn’t any fear in his voice. In fact, for the first time since he’d woken up, there was almost a sense of peace about him, a calm and hard-won acceptance as he studied the claws of his right hand.  “Even after everything, I don’t regret it.” 

A quiet settled over them, drained of the tension of battle and fear of the unknown. In each other, they found sanctuary. Some day he would make up for hurting Keith, Shiro swore to himself. He didn’t know if it was possible, or if they would live to see another sunrise, but given the chance, he would find a way, if not to make things right, then to make them better. He didn’t expect Keith to twine their fingers together, human skin fragile and soft against his blackened claw. He didn’t expect his best friend hold him tighter. Once again he’d underestimated Keith Kogane, and Shiro didn’t know how to repay him.

“You’re my guardian angel. That means everything to me.”

He turned into Keith with a broken sob, hiding his face into the crook of his throat. Long black wings spread out across them, a blanket and a shield, and Shiro gasped as Keith tightened his grip, holding him close and whispering words for only Shiro to hear. “I’m right here with you.”

A promise from a lifetime ago, one Shiro never expected to have returned, but Keith’s voice was warm against his ear, the caress of his lips against its shell enough to make him shiver. He moved closer without clear intent, driven by the need for comfort, and Keith was there to hold him down, kissing him gently. It was still enough to make Shiro’s head spin.

They stayed like that for a long time, speaking in hushed murmurs, like they were afraid of breaking the calm that settled between them. Shiro let himself drift, and the first embers of hope burned in the center of his chest, growing stronger with every passing second. They had to run. They had to escape. They would be chased, but the world was a large place, and they would have each other. It almost felt like they had a chance. He couldn’t stop touching Keith, quietly reminding himself again and again that his best friend was real. They really had a chance.

Then at the edges of his mind, something shifted, not the first signs of his surrender but an awareness of a shift in the air. Old instincts came to life, because even disgraced, Shiro had once been an angel.

“They’re coming.”

Keith exhaled softly, his pulse racing in Shiro’s ear, but when he met his gaze, it burned with a new fire.

“I have a plan, if they want my soul, then they’ll have to face both of us.”


	5. Chapter 5

The stars never changed.

Shiro looked up at the sky over the desert that stretched out for lonely miles around him and smiled. The Milky Way shone in all of its glory, spilling star shine across the darkness like it was leading him home. He was still so young and there was so much of creation to see.

These stars had shone for them when he’d promised them all to Keith, two children sneaking away from the ones supposed to watch them. Shiro had reached up and given Keith a piece of the sky that night so he could hold a part of his dream. Then they’d lay together beneath these stars, sneaking away from rules and regulations to watch them fall like tears. He’s promised Keith the truth that night, a new life of possibility and wonder. This sky had watched as he pulled Keith into his arms, their light from above and reflected by the ocean below as if they made love among the stars.

Love. An angel wasn’t supposed to know love like this, but it had been almost enough to pull him from the demon’s control. Shiro had been sent to seduce and destroy, but when Keith pulled him down, the two of them gentle and eager to find the ways they could fit together, the darkness in him cleared. It hadn’t been a trick, the realization was nothing short of terrifying.

He had fallen for Keith, and love had set him free. Now was the time to do the same for Keith.

Shiro’s hand slipped into Keith’s who didn’t flinch at the touch of feathered flesh and claws, only squeezed back as they both looked to the sky and waited for the end. Their plan was a desperate one, but they were done running.

No matter what happened, Shiro was free from the duty to the angels that had always felt so wrong and the control of the demons who’d broken him until he obeyed. He was here, honest and himself, with Keith at his side under their stars.

“Do you think we can do this? How long until they actually get here?”

Shiro leaned against his best friend. “We can if we work as a team. Patience yields focus, remember?”

“When this is over, we’re getting you a better catch phrase, Shiro.”

“You love it, and you know it.”

“It’s grown on me. Like mold.”

Shiro laughed, surprised and delighted. It always came so easy around Keith, and when he looked down, Keith was smiling up at him with so much warmth, it took Shiro’s breath away. There was no room for failure today. No matter what happened, Shiro wasn’t going to let anyone have him.

In the distance came the rumble of machinery, and Shiro looked to the east where he could just make out the outline of a land rover. Demons couldn’t step foot on Earth, bound just as thoroughly as angels were to the rules of their station. Doubt crept into Shiro’s thoughts, just a flicker that he couldn’t put out quickly enough. The consequences of defeat were molded into his flesh, and Shiro wished he could make Keith run, just this once. Yet he knew that once they started, they would never stop. And above all, he trusted Keith.

If there was anyone who could beat the odds, it would be his best friend.

“They’re coming.” He said.

Keith squeezed his hand. Shiro turned to him, fear and longing written across his face, clearer than anything he could say, and he offered Keith one last smile before he took to the air. Keith swallowed down a scream, fighting the urge to call him back. This wasn’t goodbye. Keith would not let this be goodbye.

Then Keith disappeared into shadow, reappearing on a the highest ledge in the canyon, which gave him the best view of their field. They were in the center of a jagged mountain formation, filled with a winding maze of paths and alleys, deep in the desert and miles away from the Garrison. In his moment of panic, when Shiro had been injured and dying in his arms, it had been a godsend. Hopefully it could help him one last time.

Shiro was invisible across the night sky, but Keith still found himself straining to catch a glimpse of him. He didn’t like their plan. It was the best they could come up with on such short notice, but any plan that had Shiro playing bait was flawed in his opinion. It was too late to change now. Keith could hear the vehicle more clearly now, watching it make its way through the mountain range as if drawn by an invisible hand.

As the hovercraft came to a halt, he held his breath, waiting for Shiro to make his appearance. Then his heart stopped.

“I know you’re here, demon. You’ve done enough.” She had long black hair, always pulled in a messy bun away from her face, and a voice Keith thought he’d forgotten long ago. “Give me back my son.”

“He’s not yours.” Shiro didn’t move. He had never been human and his dark beauty was almost painful as he faced off against the mortal woman who looked frail and delicate in comparison. She didn’t seem intimidated or afraid, squaring her shoulders and facing the fallen angel with the same stubborn determination that Keith recognized whenever he looked in the mirror.

_ Mom! _

She was dead, they’d said she died in the fire so long ago. Both of his parents were gone in a single night and he’d been alone for so long. He almost called out, wanting to rush out of the shadows and into the woman’s arms, suddenly a terrified little kid who just wanted his mom to make the bad things go away.

“You stay away from him!” She yelled at Shiro, trembling in fury. “I know what you tried to do to him, you monster.”

“I’m not going to let you hurt him.” Shiro was unmoved. His black wings cut holes against the sky, swallowing the light around him. He reached into nothing and pulled a sword into existence, its edge flickering with a sickly flame. The weapon of an angel, but as corrupted and twisted as he was.

“He’s my son. Keith! Keith, baby I’m here. I won’t let him hurt you again.” She took another step forward, but Shiro didn’t move, the sword flaring in his hand. The woman scanned the rocky outcroppings around them, searching the darkness for any hint of Keith. “Where is he?”

Shiro ignored the question, voice hollow. “I know what you are. I can see right through your mask, I know you better than that. I don’t care whatever face you’re wearing, you’re not going to take him. I’m not yours either anymore.”

Keith held his breath, nails digging into his own palm hard enough to draw blood. Shiro could be trusted, he wasn’t working for the enemy anymore. Keith was almost sure of it. Almost?

“You were never strong enough to keep me.”

Stone began to rumble, crackling and reforming under the power of someone once divine, and Keith squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly afraid like he hadn’t been in years. He hadn’t seen her die. He couldn’t now and he knew with a terrifying certainty that Shiro was going to destroy her. It’d tear him apart. But something changed in her voice, not tone or pitch, but a shift in pattern that made his stomach drop.

“You think you’ve laid claim to him now?”

“He doesn’t belong to anyone but himself. You wouldn’t understand. All you care about is bending over for the Master and begging he throws you a bone.” Emptiness laced Shiro’s every word, twisting the last remnants of illusion Keith held. So much of it had been an act. He could see that now, and it left him cold.

“I came here for my son,” She rasped, a whisper that carried on the wind, and Keith pressed himself into the stone, holding his breath. “I’m not leaving here until I get him.”

“You’re going to have to go through me. And you’ve never beaten an angel that wasn’t already tied down.”

Shiro laughed, a cruel, mocking sound thick with loathing. Keith almost didn’t recognize him. But he’d never heard a scream like that before. Keith looked over the ledge to watch her charge at the angel, so quickly his eyes couldn’t register the shift, and Shiro swung his sword to intercept. It happened all at once. They disappeared in a flash, reappearing on the far end of the cliff, chasing each other across time and space and the hovercraft exploded in a flare of heat. Creatures raced from the flames like skittering spiders, and Keith stared in sick fascination when he realized they were human. They walked on their hands and knees, limbs bent at unnatural angles, and Shiro was surrounded. Bursts of fire and light cut through the desert air, an artificial dawn laced in sulfur.

This was exactly what they wanted.

Keith swallowed his disgust, letting the power course through him like a jolt of electricity. Whatever those things were now, they’d used to be human before they’d been twisted and broken. Their lives had been snuffed out he tried to tell himself, there was no way that they could still be alive with their bones bent and broken. It was cold comfort.

The angel moved like he was dancing through realities, graceful and sure as Keith’s mother-, as the woman who looked like his mother chased after them. Whatever she was, she burned with a dark energy of her own, one that seemed to warp the air around her and pull the very life from wherever she touched. Shiro never let her get close enough, parrying every strike of her hands with his sword, whirling like a storm as he drew her farther from Keith, just like they planned.

Pouring every bit of his unshackled power into his hands, Keith slammed his hands down into the rocky ground. The desert responded immediately, rumbling like an earthquake and tearing itself open. Rocks split with a great echoing crack, others tumbling down from the canyon walls as they crumbled around them. His mother was too far away to stop it and as the ground shook beneath their feet, Shiro pressed his advantage to keep her too distracted to help.

The creatures gave a gurgling hiss that might have once been a scream before their vocal cords were stretched and broken. They tried to skitter away to safety, but the loose rocks falling from above pinned them, crushing them beneath the rubble until they were buried by stone. Keith let his powers die away and looked at the damage, whispering a silent prayer that whoever they were, they had finally found peace.

“What have you done?” The woman shrieked. She still looked like his mother, but an awful caricature of her now. It was like the skin was stretched tight against something that was only vaguely human shaped, wearing her like mask. Her eyes bulged unnaturally, lips peeled back in a snarl. Still, she tried to call out to him, hands stretched in welcome. “Keith, you can’t listen to him, baby. He’s here to hurt you, let me take you home.”

It felt like the world moved in slow motion. Her chest tore open, engulfed by darkness as Shiro’s sword sliced through her rib cage. Her face was frozen, the last remnants of fury still shaping her brow, but none of the toil of pain marred her features. Keith ducked for cover, his hands over his head, pulling himself into his knees. He could still see her, the gaping snarl of her mouth twisted around fangs he wasn’t sure he imagined. Keith didn’t want to see anything ever again.

“Never.” Shiro’s voice was everywhere at once, vicious like Keith had never heard before. “You will never touch him again.”

There was a scream, and then nothing. Nothing at all.

Keith never wanted to go back. A gentle touch made him look up. Shiro’s fingers skimmed through his hair, combing back his bangs, and Keith launched himself at him. He was shaking and he couldn’t stop himself, clinging to Shiro with everything he had left. His skin still prickled in the cool night air, like a thousand needles lived beneath his flesh, too sharp to be nothing, but not enough to be painful.

“I’m here,” Shiro whispered softly, pressing a kiss against the side of Keith’s head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Enough. Let it be enough, Keith pleaded silently, letting Shiro cup his cheek. The angel traced across its curve, his eyes dark with intensity, and Keith felt like he could drown in their depths. Victory wasn’t supposed to make him feel so hollow, but the desert was finally silent.

Keith never got to ask if it was over.

Shiro tensed in his arms, a scream choked in his throat, as a grapnel broke through the dark feathers of his wing and yanked him backwards with agonizing force. The angel was dragged off the ledge, screaming in pain before he crumpled to the ground with a sickening crunch. Keith howled, rushing to the edge to find two figures standing over his unmoving form.

“Cambion.” A voice like a hiss rippled through the air, freezing Keith’s blood in his veins. “Half-Breed. There you are.”

“Let him go!” Keith’s fists burned as brightly as his anger, but it was a futile gesture. If the bodies the creatures possessed had once been human, the sheer power of the demons had already corrupted the flesh. Their skulls twisted, human bone shaped into horns, their skin gray with spider-webbing veins in throbbing violets and blues. Their eyes were empty sockets filled with a blinding yellow light. The world felt wrong around them. Even bound in by the rules of flesh, the earth warped around them from their power alone.

“Don’t worry, little one.” The larger of the demons said as he yanked Shiro up to his knees by the hooks buried in the angel’s wing. “Your friend knows his place.”

“Master Zarkon.” Shiro could barely gasp the words through the pain as the demon’s touch gentled, cupping Shiro’s face with a sick sort of tenderness. He traced his thumb across Shiro’s lip, the skin splitting beneath his claw as Zarkon smeared bright red blood like paint across Shiro’s skin. His wings sagged heavily behind him, one limp and bleeding heavily from the hooks that pierced to the bone. Shiro didn’t try to resist or fight, too many years of lessons learned in agony to rebel now. There was no escape from this, they’d taught him what would happened if he tried.  

“I said let him go.” Keith snarled, but a quick spell from the woman beside Zarkon held him still.

Zarkon laughed, stroking a hand through Shiro’s hair. “So you like him? I picked him for you, Cambion. An angel is created to serve, all they know is how to obey. It would be cruel to ask anything else from them. I’ve trained him to be a loyal pet for you, our gift to celebrate your birthright. If you want him, he’ll be yours to keep.” He pulled Shiro higher on his knees, displaying him for Keith’s scrutiny.

“He was so eager to prove his loyalty. You know he fell for you. Denounced his Order to fight by your side. Perhaps it’s time you repay some of that devotion. Would you like that, little one?”

The demon’s smile was built on fangs, and Shiro slumped against him, leaning against his thigh. His eyes were glassy and unseeing, fear pulling him into himself as if he had any hope of escaping the gore spread out before him. It make Keith’s skin crawl, disgust just as nauseating as his need for revenge, but Keith refused to look away. Shiro had been fighting alone for far too long. Keith wouldn’t let that happen again. When the angel turned, Shiro straight looked through him.

Keith took a step forward without meaning to, and then another, bewitched by power beyond his control. Shiro’s eyes darkened with tears, but he didn’t make a sound, docile in his surrender as the demon dragged its claws across his hair, a quiet reminder of how easy it would be to separate his scalp from bone.

“Your pet did a fair job, given his limitations. Your potential stretches beyond cheap parlor tricks. We can show you the meaning of true power. True freedom.” Zarkon said, voice like oil across Keith’s skin. “All we require is one simple thing. A fair bargain.”

“Keith…” Shiro’s voice was a fragile, broken thing, and when Zarkon touched his cheek, he turned away. It was no contest.

Keith lowered his head, and the demon witch approached in a blur, trapping him in place. The air around them stilled, suddenly so cold that Keith’s exhale frosted at his lips. She dragged long talons down his cheek, and no matter how gentle, skin fractured and tore, leaving thin crimson lines in their wake. “Exquisite.”

It took everything in him not to flinch away, but he leveled his gaze and held his ground. “You want my soul, is that it?”

The witch bobbed her head, face lost under the fall of her hair. “Such a useless, inconvenient thing. It stifles your true power and keeps you from taking your rightful place with us. Let us help you.”

“And you can have your reward.” Zarkon smiled as Keith’s eyes flickered to Shiro, the temptation obvious. Demon blood was impossible to resist, and nothing so weak as human morality could hold it back. Keith licked his lips nervously, faint blush warming his skin. As much as he might try to deny it, it was clear what he wanted and that he would never be able to resist.

“If I do this, I want Shiro. No one else can touch him ever again.” Keith tried to force a threat into his voice, but he was bargaining out of his league. Still, Zarkon gave a single nod of agreement.

“If you give us the soul, then he will be yours to do with as you please.”

“Keith, don’t!” The angel’s voice was hoarse and he was quickly silenced, pleas lost to a choked scream as Keith turned to Haggar and ignored him.

“Fine, do it.”

Ice cold hands closed around his face, freezing down to the bone almost like they were burning. It spread, turning the air in his lungs to ice and each breath sent needle sharp pain jolting through his body. She reached inside of him, the touch enough to make him sick, looking for the last lingering light of his humanity to pluck it free and tie him forever to their power. Haggar paused, peering through mortal flesh and blood in confusion.

“NOW!” Chains rattled and clanked as Shiro surged to his feet while the demons were distracted, the trembling feigned fear gone. The angel had fought for his freedom from his own people, he had fought his demonic captors for years, and he poured that stubborn, determined resistance into the only fight that truly mattered. He might have been fallen, but he burned like an avenging angel.

The power of his demonic arm burned through flesh and bone as he shattered Zarkon’s knee, crippling him. His human body screamed in pain, but the demon was furious, lashing out with blind power as Shiro pulled himself free. Keith moved in perfect sync, a long crimson sword slicing through the witch’s chest. Haggar screamed but refused to release her hold, foreign magic wreaking havoc through his body until there was nothing he could do but lash out. Power built in his bones, spreading through him like wild fire and burning through the witch’s touch. It raged and thrashed, building momentum as it raced through his nerves, claiming and rewriting his humanity into something far more vicious.

“You won’t touch him ever again.” He heard the words in his voice, rasped in a hateful, heated curse, but the anger felt detached. Keith was swimming in sensation, separate from himself but overwhelming in the same breath.

“You won’t take anything else from me.”

The power burned inside him, swelling, choking him. It crawled into his nose and mouth, thick like oil and spilling over his skin until it seeped into his skin, all that he could feel. Keith trembled with it, no longer fighting but letting it drown him, letting it fill him to the brim. Then he pushed back out.

“Go back to Hell!”

A flash of light engulfed them. Haggar screamed, overwhelmed by pain that went beyond her human form, reaching something ethereal and immortal. The body screamed, and she was gone, the smell of sulphur and ash thick in the air, but what walked through the smoke was no longer human. Long graceful wings spread from Keith’s back, shimmering like molten silver through a delicate mesh of scales. Two sets of horns burst from his skull like a crown, short spikes just cutting through his hair line, and the end of his hand tapered into sharpened claws. His eyes flashed red, but faded to the same cold violet he’d had since he was born.

Zarkon watched in stunned silence as the Cambion walked closer, Shiro falling into step at his right, dragging the chains of the demon’s trap behind him.

Angel and demon advanced on their enemy, side by side. The angel was dark, touched by the wild powers of freedom and choice, wearing his sins with pride. He pulled the hooks from his wings and left them behind with a clank. The demon was light, a profane creature touched by mortality, given a soul and a heart to experience a love no monster could understand. They were an impossible pair, bound together and more powerful than Zarkon had anticipated. They would never be underestimated again.

They attacked together, Zarkon caught between them and unable to stand before the onslaught. Shiro’s talons glowed as violet as Keith’s eyes, light streaking behind them like falling stars as he tore through Zarkon’s stolen body. Keith wielded the flaming sword, an angel’s weapon in a demon’s hand, purifying the very corruption at the heart of Zarkon’s power.

“How?!” Zarkon choked, falling to his knees. Rules bound them all, what Keith had done broke them all. “You made the deal. Your soul is ours!”

“I’d already given it to someone for safe keeping.” Keith’s smile was bloody, driving the flaming sword home through Zarkon’s ribs. “It was better in Shiro’s hands with mine.”

Zarkon screamed as flames consumed him, burning his form to ash that whirled away on the desert wind. Silence descended around them, a heavy unnatural stillness as the sword flickered and disappeared, plunging them into darkness. With a tired groan, Keith slid to his knees, but Shiro was by his side to catch him, the two holding on to each other and keeping each other upright.

“We did it.” Shiro wrapped his bleeding wings around them both, a hoarse laugh bubbling up from his chest. “We won.”

“I told you that plan would work.”

“It was still a dangerous, stupid plan.”

Keith managed a tired smile. “And it still worked.”

“You’re the worst.” Shiro said, grinning from ear to ear, only for him to tense, inhaling sharply as his damaged wing trembled behind him.

“Shiro!”

Keith fussed over him, drawing him into his arms and trying to smooth back his blood-caked feathers, but Shiro shook his head. “I’ll be okay. It’ll heal.”

“That’s not the point!”

If anything that made Keith fuss harder, features twisted unhappily, but Shiro had closed his eyes, shamelessly tucking his face into Keith’s shoulder.

“Keith,” he whispered, gently stilling his hand with a tired sigh, before he dropped a kiss on the back of bloody knuckles. “You can go anywhere now. No one can hold you back. And if you’ll let me…”

_ Let me go with you. _ The words caught in Shiro’s throat, braver than he thought he could be in that moment, but so full of hope. Things were different now. Keith didn’t have to worry about anyone coming after Shiro. Any debt between them had been washed away, but Shiro wasn’t ready to let go. If Keith could forgive him, he hoped he could get another chance to prove that there had been more to them than what Shiro’d been forced to do. Keith was looking down at him with the strangest expression on his face, and Shiro wished he could smooth it away. He never got the chance.

The sky had opened up, and it looked like a falling star was coming down to greet them.

Shiro had forgotten how beautiful they could be. When they angels descended, they brought the light of a new day with them, bright enough to turn the desert sky to dawn. Keith tightened his grip, his expression slackened in awe, but Shiro had to look away. Their wings were made of soft, pristine white feathers, their faces smooth and unlined by the burden of their Order’s demands. It was hard to imagine they were cut from the same cloth that had formed Zarkon.  

Shiro stood slowly and painfully, pulling Keith up to his feet beside him. He was battered and bruised, wings hanging limply behind him, but he wouldn’t face his family on his knees. He hadn’t seen them since he’d been taken, back when he’d been a young, naïve rebel who believed in the heart of a mortal boy when they’d been so willing to turn their backs.  _ Demon blood will win out, the Cambion’s soul wasn’t worth saving _ , they said. Shiro was too young and too inexperienced to even try. It wasn’t his duty, he wasn’t a guardian yet.

But he had defied them, doing what was right instead of what he should. He chased freedom and friendship, even if they were forbidden, and he had paid the price for it.

Under their judgement, he felt small again. The disappointment of the family, an embarrassment. It was clear on their faces as they looked at the creature he’d become and how far from perfection he had fallen.

It hurt, even if Shiro didn’t want to admit it. He wished he didn’t care after so long, there was no going back and if he was honest with himself, he wouldn’t if he could. But that didn’t stop him from drawing himself up straighter or holding on to Keith tighter.

It still didn’t mean he could look them in the eye.

“Cambion.” One of the creatures spoke, their voice soothing as if their words alone could heal. “Our congratulations. We never expected you to reject the demons’ offer, you’ve done something impossible. The strength of your heart has called to us.”

“We wanted to offer you our help.” The other said with a smile so lovely, it was heartbreaking. “You’ve dealt the demons a significant blow. You’re a hero, you have the power to change the entire world for the better. We could show you how.”

It was another offer of power, one with strings just as the demons’ had been, but with a brighter reward. A Cambion had the power of choice, with the strength of the divine and the free will of humanity not bound by the rules that chained all angels and demons. If Keith chose the angels, he could tip the balance to good just as the demons had always wanted him to swing the world into evil. He would be a hero, a great one. How could Shiro stand in the way of that?

Keith made the choice for himself. “You’re joking.” 

Free will didn't play nice.

He stepped in front of Shiro, subtly blocking him from view.

“You selfish, self-absorbed assholes.” Keith hissed, trembling with barely restrained fury. The angels didn’t shrink back, but he made them pause. “What makes you think you have any right to ask me to do anything for you? Shiro’s the only one who ever tried to help me. You weren’t there when he needed you. You weren’t there when my parents needed you. If you cared about anyone, you never would’ve let Zarkon get this far!”

He was breathing hard, power crackling at his fingertips, and it all came so easily now. For the longest time, Keith had been able to make peace with his family’s passing, to understand it in a fundamental way. Sometimes bad things happened to good people. Sometimes coincidences lined up in the worst sort of way. He’d been forced to accept that. There was no moving forward if he didn’t.

But this soured his memories in the most painful way. There had been someone watching over them, someone who’d turned a blind eye when he needed help the most. Now that it was convenient for them, they were generous enough to speak to him.

Keith was going to be sick.

But a gentle hand caught him by the wrist, tentative and careful. Shiro slowly dragged his thumb across the back of his palm, grounding him, and Keith knew without a doubt that if he started something, Shiro would be right there with him.

In the end, that stopped him from fighting. They’d both been hurt enough for one day.

Shiro still hesitated.

“Keith…”

The angels could offer him everything Shiro never could. They had their rules and restrictions, but they were powerful and Shiro still believed that they had the power to do so much good. They could teach Keith everything and he really could swing the balance towards good, altering the war with Hell and helping people on Earth. Shiro could never go back home, but maybe there would be a place for Keith there.

“No.” Keith locked his eyes with Shiro’s, never letting go of him. “They both want me because I can choose, right? Well, the only thing I choose in their stupid war is you, Shiro.”

The angels made a soft noise of disagreement, but they were powerless to do more than try and coax him to the light. With his decision made, they were forced to retreat.

Keith sagged against Shiro in exhaustion as the angel gently lowered them both to the ground, pulling his wings around them in a soft blanket of feathers. ”I’ve got you, you’re okay. It’s all over now.”

“Is it okay?” Keith asked, softer than he meant to be, his defiant confidence faltering for the first time, when only Shiro was around to challenge him. “I never asked what you wanted. If you wanted me.”

Shiro inhaled sharply, before ducking his head. “It was always you, Keith. Since the very beginning. I think I’ve been in love with you since the very beginning.”

With a soft laugh, Keith gathered Shiro into his arms, carding his fingers through his angel’s sweat streaked hair and gently smoothing ruffled feathers back into place. “It better not be over, you still promised me the stars.”

And when Shiro smiled, Keith pressed in closer, whispering a promise that would span his lifetime and every one after that.

_ I love you, too. _

They clung to each other, soothing hurts and reclaiming lost time until dawn broke across the horizon. There were still powers that existed beyond the reach of demon and angel alike. 

“So what do we do now?” Shiro asked softly as the sun rose on a new day. Keith slipped his hand into his best friend’s, squeezing tightly.

“Anything we choose.”


	6. Artwork by Lau

**Author's Note:**

> As always, you can find [Dans on tumblr.](http://itdans.tumblr.com/)  
> Rune's tumblr is [here](http://runicscribbles.tumblr.com/) and twitter is [here.](http://twitter.com/runicscribbles)
> 
> Please comment if you enjoyed! Come say hello. :)


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